Trump receives Xi in Washington: Harmonious tone despite open points of contention

The conflict over Taiwan, the Iran war and a bitter trade conflict: Despite a number of points of contention, US President Donald Trump painted a demonstratively harmonious picture of the relations between the two countries during the visit of China's head of state Xi Jinping. Trump received China's head of state in Washington with great pomp and showered him with praise. Xi responded with warm words, but also made warning statements. Hardly any concrete results were known during the state visit.

“President Xi and I are aware that we represent different systems,” said Trump at a state banquet on Thursday evening (local time). “But the bonds between our peoples continue, and we have never understood each other as well as we do now.” Xi spoke of “many new agreements” in the talks with Trump, but did not give any details.

Xi urged both countries to act responsibly. China and the USA are once again facing a “historic starting point”. Both sides should show responsibility and find a new way for major powers to get along, he said.

China emphasizes importance of Taiwan after meeting

At his previous bilateral meeting with Trump in the White House, both reached numerous new agreements in an open and intensive exchange, Xi said - without giving further details. According to China's official news agency Xinhua, both spoke about the situation in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and the situation on the Korean peninsula. Xi also underlined China's stance on Taiwan and expressed the hope that "the United States will stick to its correct stance against "Taiwan independence" and "handle the Taiwan issue prudently."

The USA sells weapons to the island state, which has been governed independently and democratically for decades, while Beijing claims Taiwan for itself and has not ruled out military action to take over the island. The US government traditionally deliberately leaves open the question of whether the US military would support Taiwan in the event of an attack.

Xi's first reception at the White House in over ten years

For China's head of state and party, it is the first trip to the USA since 2023, when he traveled to California for the APEC economic summit. Trump invited Xi to the White House during his visit to Beijing in mid-May. Xi's last state visit with a reception at the White House was in 2015.

There is speculation as to whether Xi and Trump could meet this year at the APEC economic summit in Shenzhen, China, and at the G20 summit in Miami. According to Xinhua, both confirmed that they would “support” each other in organizing the events.

Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan landed in the United States on Wednesday for a three-day state visit. Immediately upon their arrival, the US government announced another respite in the customs dispute. However, Beijing did not initially confirm this.

Expert: Xi is not influenced by flattery

The former US ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, believes the lavish reception for Xi was misguided. Burns said he had spent a lot of time with Xi himself and found him stubborn and pragmatic. “His overall strategy is to undermine the United States,” Burns, who now teaches at Harvard University, told PBS. “I don’t think Xi Jinping will be influenced by flattery.”

New US sanctions against Russia could hit Beijing

The relationship between the two nuclear powers is characterized by a number of conflicts, both geopolitical and economic. Trump is under great pressure because of the Iran war and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Oil and gas prices have risen sharply due to the de facto blockade of the strait, while at the same time China is by far the largest buyer of Iranian oil and an important political partner of Tehran. Washington is hoping for Chinese pressure with regard to the important trade route.

Dealing with the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine is also putting a strain on the relationship between the two states. For example, a new US sanctions package against Russia offers a lot of potential for conflict because the law allows Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent against states that continue to buy Russian oil or gas. In addition to India, this could particularly affect China. China is an important supporter and trading partner of Russia.

In addition to the tariff conflict between the two largest economies, security in dealing with artificial intelligence (AI) is also likely to have played a role in the talks between Trump and Xi. The two countries are also rivals when it comes to developing this future technology.

Tea ceremony at the end

Xi ends his visit to Washington today. He will meet Trump again before his departure. A tea ceremony is planned, followed by a visit to the National Archives to view founding documents of the USA. The USA celebrated its 250th birthday this summer.