Donald Trump welcomed Xi Jinping to the US on Wednesday evening at the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, an unusually generous meeting to kick off the Chinese president’s state visit.
For the world leaders’ second meeting this year, the US president is expected to roll out the red carpet for his Chinese counterpart as top issues such as the race in artificial intelligence development and geopolitical instability loom.
The Chinese president will receive a ۲۱-gun salute on the South Lawn of the White House, private tea with the US president and first lady, and a tour of the National Archives, among other special events.
But tensions between the two countries, especially over AI development, will likely remain present during the two-day visit.
The White House has invited major tech leaders, such as executives from OpenAI, Apple, xAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, Meta and others, to the state dinner on Thursday.
The US and China have long been competing to develop increasingly powerful technology, but the race to further AI has become a major topic among tech companies – especially after several executives came forward to warn about the dangers of rapid development.
Trump has dismissed concerns that AI development could harm people, instead promoting more investment in the technology so the US can beat China in the race.
“There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China. WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week.
The president and members of the administration have insisted that leading AI development also means leading the world militarily and economically – further raising the stakes for the US and China.
Xi’s visit is expected to be filled with pageantry, reciprocating the treatment Trump received when he visited China earlier this year.
Trump’s decision to greet the Chinese leader at his plane, rather than at the White House, shows how far the US president is willing to go to indulge Xi.
“He’s coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect,” Melania Trump, the first lady, said of the visit to Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning.
