Red carpet for Xi Jinping
At Joint Base Andrews airport near Washington, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were welcomed by US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. This was a departure from protocol.
American media point out that the US president usually welcomes foreign guests at the White House. This time, Xi's welcome was accompanied by a solemn ceremony with military honors at the military base. The red carpet was rolled out for Xi. According to the New York Times, Trump waited for the Chinese leader at the base for about 45 minutes.
Xi's solemn welcome shows how far the US president goes in showing respect for the Chinese leader, the AP emphasized. The impressive setting of the Chinese leader's visit is intended to be a response to the lavish ceremonies that accompanied Trump's visit to China in May, the website added.
Xi: Both countries should be partners, not rivals
After being welcomed at the airport, Xi Jinping wrote that the great rebirth of the Chinese nation and the goal of making America great again can go hand in hand.
"The two countries should be partners, not rivals. Realizing the great rebirth of the Chinese nation and making America great again can fully run in parallel, without contradiction, complement each other and benefit the world," Xi said, quoted in a written statement issued after arriving in the US.
The phrase used by the Chinese leader is a direct reference to Donald Trump's election slogan "Make America Great Again".
"Together we can and should develop the right model for coexistence of both powers in the modern world," added the Chinese leader.
Today there are key talks in the White House
Today, both leaders will meet at the White House for key bilateral talks. This will be their first direct meeting since May this year, when Trump visited Beijing. It was then agreed to strive to build a "constructive relationship of strategic stability."
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that the United States and China agreed just before the leaders' talks to extend the so-called Busan trade agreement. According to the agreement, the parties suspended the introduction of some of the prohibitive tariffs, and China unblocked supplies of rare earth metals. Bessent announced that the contract would be extended until January 10.
Issues of trade, artificial intelligence (AI) and Taiwan are expected to dominate politicians' talks on Thursday.
Experts do not expect a breakthrough
However, experts are convinced that the summit in Washington will end without a breakthrough in the relations between the two powers or the announcement of large contracts. Reuters, citing sources, revealed that hopes for a new commitment from China to buy Boeing planes are "diminishing" as negotiations are still ongoing.
Orville Schell from the Asia Society warns in Foreign Affairs against the illusion of "big man diplomacy", pointing to the fundamental lack of trust and incompatible characters of the leaders. In his opinion, Xi's cool distance, rooted in the Chinese tradition of legalism, is in contrast to Trump's impulsive style, which usually leads to escalation and new tariffs after a temporary warming of relations.
As Scott Kennedy from the CSIS think tank predicts, both sides want to "buy time" for internal reasons - the US administration before the upcoming congressional elections, and Beijing to ensure economic stability before the key congress of the Communist Party of China in 2027. In his opinion, expectations towards the summit "have been reduced to almost zero."
Therefore, the most likely outcome of the talks will be limited economic arrangements.
“This announcement is widely anticipated.”
“A tariff cut is almost certain,” writes Melanie Hart of the Atlantic Council. "Both sides are calling it the '30 by 30 target': each side will eliminate existing tariffs on $30 billion worth of imported goods. This announcement is so widely anticipated that if it didn't happen, it would mean something has gone horribly wrong," he stresses.
In Hart's opinion, the most controversial point of conversation is artificial intelligence, with Washington and Beijing accusing each other of unfair practices and security threats. At the same time, he emphasizes that the "wild card" remains the issue of people - as Washington emphasizes - illegally detained by China and Taiwan, especially in the context of arms sales to the island.
"If Trump steps down, it risks weakening the deterrent effect and reducing security in the Taiwan Strait. If Xi believes he has the advantage to take action against Taiwan, the likelihood of a conflict between the United States and China may increase," the analyst warns.
“The Washington summit will not end the strategic competition between the United States and China, but it may determine whether the next stage is one of controlled competition within an established framework or renewed escalation and fragmentation,” conclude Miriam Schive and Spencer Feingold on the World Economic Forum website.
Trump and Xi will meet for the third time
This is the third meeting of politicians since Trump returned to power in January 2025. Previous talks took place on the sidelines of the meeting in October last year. the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (APEC) summit in Busan, and in May this year. Trump paid a visit to Beijing.
Xi previously visited Washington on a state visit in 2015. Then-President Barack Obama accepted it.
