Trump and Xi emphasize cooperation in the White House

At a meeting in the White House, US President Donald Trump and Chinese head of state Xi Jinping emphasized their willingness to cooperate: "I am here to expand friendship and cooperation," said Xi upon his arrival.

Trump spoke of a "truly great friendship" with Xi and said they had made "tremendous progress" on the problems facing both countries. China-US cooperation may not solve every problem in the world, Xi said. "But without our cooperation it would be difficult to solve many of the world's problems."

Bomber upset US president

The US President welcomed Xi on Wednesday evening after he landed at a military airfield near the capital Washington. The heads of state's wives, Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan, also attended the short ceremony. During the US anthem, B1 bombers flew over the guests at the ceremony - the noise was so deafening that Trump grimaced. It was also noticeable that the US President wore a coat and gloves despite the temperature being around 18 degrees Celsius.

Shortly after Xi landed in Washington, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Fox News that both countries had agreed to extend their tariff break by two months. "Today we agreed to extend the so-called Busan Agreement," said Bessent. However, hours later there was still no confirmation from the Chinese side of the deal.

For China's head of state and party, it is the first trip to the USA since 2023, when he traveled to the APEC economic summit in California and met Trump's predecessor Joe Biden. Trump invited Xi to the White House during his visit to Beijing in mid-May. Trump had already welcomed him to his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida in 2017. His last state visit with a reception at the White House was in 2015.