US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping seemed to put sources of tension between their countries to the side during the second day of Xi’s three-day visit to the United States, where he met with Trump and toured the White House.
Trump touted what he described as a “great meeting” with Xi on Thursday, as the two superpowers seek greater dialogue despite differences over issues such as Iran, Taiwan, AI and trade.
“From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people,” Trump said.
Here are a few key takeaways from Xi’s second day in the US.
Emphasis on stable ties
When Trump first returned to the White House, he announced severe tariffs on Chinese goods that quickly set off a trade war between the world’s two largest economies and warnings of wider fallout around the globe.
Despite such a rocky start, Trump and Xi have sought to dial back tensions and improve their personal ties, even if there is an understanding that core areas of disagreement aren’t likely to change.
The US president has sometimes talked about China’s status as a rising power as a source of admiration, even as those changes bring it into competition with the US.
“We had a great meeting,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, without offering further details.
For his part, Xi stated on Thursday that the US and China should take steps to avoid the “Thucydides Trap”, a term used by international relations scholars regarding the risk of conflict between a rising power and an existing power.
“It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” Xi said, adding that both countries were deeply interconnected and should engage in “healthy” competition that is “kept within bounds”.
Iran war hangs over visit
While Xi’s visit is focused on improving ties with Trump and the US, several issues have also been at the centre of discussions between the two leaders. One is the US war on Iran, which was launched by the US and Israel in February and has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and surging global energy prices.
Trump has called on China to support US efforts to isolate Tehran economically and reopen the strait, which was open before the war. Beijing, Iran’s largest trading partner, has been hesitant to get involved.
No breakthroughs on the issue were reported during talks between Trump and Xi on Thursday, with the Chinese president stating that he supported the US and Iran returning to an interim agreement that was supposed to pave the way for a larger peace deal.
That truce broke down shortly after it was announced in June.
Visit gets mixed reception from US lawmakers
While Xi’s visit to the US has been marked by pomp and ceremony, some Democratic and Republican lawmakers have complained that the spectacle amounts to a celebration of a US rival.
“Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party,” said Republican Senator Roger Wicker.
That line of criticism was shared by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who said that Trump “always deludes himself into thinking that, by ingratiating himself with authoritarians, he’s somehow going to get his way”.
Others said that diplomacy between the US and China is a positive thing that will help the two powers avoid potentially disastrous conflict.
“I’m glad this meeting is happening; diplomacy is key,” Republican Senator Rand Paul said in a social media post. “Talk more, war less.”
Xi urges Trump not to recognise Taiwan independence
US ties with Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory, remain a core flashpoint in relations between Washington and Beijing.
During their meeting on Thursday, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Xi urged Trump to oppose Taiwanese independence and handle the issue “prudently”. The White House has yet to release its own summary of the talks and remarks on Taiwan.
The Chinese leader is likely to continue pressing Trump to avoid acts that Beijing views as provocative.
Trump stated after a meeting with Xi in May that he would postpone final approval of a $14bn arms package for Taipei, and has called arms sales a “very good negotiating chip” with China.
That transactional approach has angered some in Washington, who see US promises of military aid to Taiwan as a core commitment.
But the US has long taken an expedient approach to relations with Beijing and Taipei, seeking stronger ties with China as it emerged as an economic powerhouse and maintaining an official policy of encouraging a peaceful resolution of the dispute without taking either side.
Taiwan has expressed concern that China could use coercion, both economic and military, to bring the island under its control.
A May Economist/YouGov poll found that people in the US are much more likely to view Taiwan as an ally of the country than China. Asked whether the US should prioritise good relations with Beijing or preventing China from seizing control of Taiwan, respondents were split 36 percent to 35 percent.
Less than 40 percent of those polled said the US should be prepared to use military force to stop China from controlling Taiwan.
