Five key points of the Trump-Xi meeting: trade extension, grand ceremony, Taiwan issue, strategic risks and AI perspective

U.S. President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on the 24th Eastern Time. The two sides held talks on trade, artificial intelligence (AI) and other issues, which have become the focus of attention from the outside world. In this regard, "Reuters" listed the five major points of the Sichuan-Xi meeting.

The first point is the extension of the trade deal. U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said that the two sides agreed to extend the trade agreement that ended the trade war last year and was originally scheduled to expire in November this year for two months. However, this extension did not lock in a long-term and stable agreement. Instead, it seemed to postpone core issues including tariffs, Chinese procurement, and rare earth supply to the next round of negotiations.

Bessant noted that China has fulfilled its previous agreement to purchase 25 million tons of soybeans, but is still behind on its commitment to purchase $17 billion in other agricultural products. U.S. officials also claimed that rare earth deliveries also fell short of requirements, which once again showed that there are still major differences between the United States and China.

The second important point is grand pomp. For Trump, Xi Jinping's visit to the White House is also an opportunity to showcase a Washington rebuilt in his personal image. The United States presented Xi Jinping with a grand ceremony on the 24th, such as soldiers wearing wigs and three-cornered hats marching in formation and playing music in a rose garden that was redesigned to look like a Trump golf course.

Xi Jinping and Trump also visited the Marine One helicopter and the recently renovated South Lawn of the White House. A large helipad is set up on the South Lawn with the presidential emblem printed on it.

The third point is that Xi Jinping hopes that the United States will remain "prudent" on the Taiwan issue. Xi Jinping discussed the Taiwan issue during his meeting with Trump. According to China's official Xinhua News Agency, Xi Jinping said that China hopes that the United States will "handle the Taiwan issue prudently" and urges the United States to oppose "Taiwan independence."

China's demands are different from the "no support for Taiwan independence" statement that the United States has long used. There is currently no sign that the Trump administration has publicly accepted China's demands or changed its existing policy language.

The fourth point is strategic risk. Xi Jinping once again mentioned the "Thucydides Trap" during his meeting with Trump. This is an academic theory that believes that competition between rising powers and existing powers often easily leads to war.

Xi Jinping maintains that both the United States and China will benefit from cooperation, and both will suffer losses from confrontation. He called for the establishment of regular military dialogue and stronger crisis prevention mechanisms.

Trump cited the two countries' shared history and emphasized the possibility of cooperation between the two countries. He noted that much can be accomplished if the two countries pursue common interests, citing their alliance during World War II when they joined forces to fight Japan.

The fifth point is the view on AI. Trump has said that AI should be called "super intelligence" (SI). Trump posted on social media that he hopes to keep SI in its current state of development rather than formulate new regulatory measures. He added that China holds the same position.

However, Xi Jinping pointed out on the 24th that as the leading countries in the field of artificial intelligence, the United States and China must manage the development of AI. He said, "We have both the ability and the responsibility to develop and manage AI to benefit mankind, and to ensure that the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people."