Xi Jinping has called for extensive cooperation with Washington to avoid the “Thucydides trap” that could put the US and China on a military collision course amid rising tensions over artificial intelligence, trade and Taiwan.
At the start of his summit meeting with Donald Trump in the White House, the Chinese president laid out terms for a mutual understanding that he said could steer the two competing superpowers away from future military conflict and on to a road of mutual gain.
Rather than confrontation, conditions for “achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again go hand in hand” and should be the goal, Xi said, citing Trump’s political catchphrase.
“We should strengthen communication. China and the United States are different in national conditions, but through candid, in-depth and continued dialogue, our two countries can understand each other better, seek common ground while shelving differences, and build up mutual trust,” said Xi, with Trump looking on.
“We should coexist in peace. China and the United States, as two major countries, stand to gain from cooperation and will both lose in confrontation. Our two militaries should maintain regular dialog and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention.”
With such conditions in place, Xi said, “the Thucydides trap can be overcome”, refering to the phenomenon, defined by the Greek historian, of tensions that arise when an emerging power challenges the dominance of an established power.
Xi invoked the phrase in his meeting with Trump in Beijing in May, asking the US president how he planned to avoid it.
His proposals for lessening tensions – which also included the invitation of ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ young Americans to visit China on student exchanges – come amid a period of intense competition between the two powers over artificial intelligence and trade, with each side imposing tariffs on the other.
Trump had earlier welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to the White House, noting that he was the first Chinese leader to make a second state visit to the US. The previous visit occurred in ۲۰۱۵, when Barack Obama was president.
“President Xi and Madame Peng arrive at an important moment for America, the ۲۵۰th anniversary of our founding,” he said.
Trump said he had forged “a truly great friendship” with Xi. “President Xi and I have made tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries,” he said. “Our teams have been working to encourage a more balances trading relationship, including the new market access for American farmers and ranchers.”
He said the current visit would include discussion overs security, technology and AI – which he called “super intelligence”, a term he introduced in his speech to the United Nations general assembly on Tuesday.
Xi also extolled his personal relationship with his American counterpart, saying: “President Trump and I have respect for each other. We have built personal rapport and stayed in touch.”
Addressing Trump directly, he said: “During your visit to China this year, we agreed to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability. I am ready to work with you to steer the giant ship of the China-US relationship on a steady course towards the future.”
The White House welcome ceremony came after Trump had taken the unusual step of going to Andrews air force base in Maryland the evening before to greet the Chinese leader and his wife on the tarmac.
Much of the same pageantry was repeated in Thursday’s ceremony, with both countries’ national anthems being played. Trump was flanked by his wife, Melania, while members of his cabinet and senior aides – including Natalie Harp, Trump’s dedicated assistant nicknamed “the human printer” by fellow staffers – looked on.
Trump and Xi held bilateral talks after the ceremony and the welcoming speeches.
Later on Thursday, Trump hosted Xi at the White House for a state dinner. Notable invited guests from the tech world included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple chair Tim Cook, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Despite the harmonious tone adopted by both leaders, analysts have voiced scepticism about the possibility of longstanding stable arrangements being arrived at over a host of issues.
In the race for AI, the US has placed strict export controls on microchips, semiconductors, software and chip-making equipment in a bid to slow China’s development.
A truce agreed between Trump and Xi in South Korea last year aimed at keeping tariffs lower had been due to expire in November but has now been extended until February, the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent said.
Analysts believe the extension suggests Trump continues to be dissatisfied with Xi’s concession offers on trade and wants to keep the pressure on in the hope of getting a better deal if the two meet again at the G۲۰ summit scheduled to be held in Miami in December.
Despite the trade war between the two countries, Chinese imports have continue to surge into the US. China is on course to run a $۱tn trade deficit for the second year running.
