Trump Hosts Xi at White House State Dinner as US-China Tensions Persist
US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a White House state dinner on Thursday, capping a day of elaborate ceremonial events and talks focused on trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the broader US-China relationship.
Xi’s visit was his first to Washington in 11 years. Trump personally welcomed him and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews before the Chinese leader was given a formal welcome at the White House, including military honours and a flyover.
The two leaders later held bilateral talks before attending the state dinner in the White House East Room. The guest list included prominent US business and technology figures, including Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
The dinner menu combined American ingredients with Chinese influences.
Trump struck a warm tone during the dinner, saying the United States and China had “never gotten along better”. Xi said the two countries should act as “responsible major countries” and argued that their respective national goals could be mutually reinforcing.
Despite the ceremony and positive rhetoric, the summit produced limited movement on the major disputes between Washington and Beijing.
The United States and China agreed to extend their existing trade truce from November 10 to January 10, keeping a temporary framework in place while wider negotiations continue. Issues including tariffs, rare-earth supplies and technology restrictions remain unresolved.
Taiwan also remained a major point of contention. China has urged Washington to oppose Taiwanese independence and has long objected to US arms sales to Taiwan. A proposed US$14 billion arms package for Taiwan remains on hold, with Trump previously describing the sale as a potential negotiating tool with Beijing.
Artificial intelligence was another focus of the talks, with both countries competing over advanced technology, semiconductors and AI development. Xi has called for AI to remain under human control, while Washington continues to restrict China’s access to some advanced US technology.
The state dinner provided a highly visible display of improved personal relations between Trump and Xi, but the central disagreements over trade, technology and Taiwan remain.
Xi is scheduled to continue his Washington visit today, Friday, including a visit to the US National Archives, before leaving the capital.
