Donald Trump Rolls Out Red Carpet For Xi Jinping As US, China Eye Deals On Trade, AI And Rare Earths

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged cooperation with Washington and Beijing as he arrived in the US capital on a state visit. "Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals," Xi said in written remarks published by state news agency Xinhua, adding that "the Chinese and US peoples have enjoyed long-standing friendly exchanges, and our interests are deeply intertwined".

Xi gets welcomed by Trump

Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday, where he was met with a rare planeside greeting from Trump as the leaders of the two largest economies in the world eye key deals on trade, AI and rare earths. Trade has been one of the biggest flashpoints between the two superpowers, along with artificial intelligence.

Quick answers to key questions

.5 QUESTIONS1What key issues are Trump and Xi expected to discuss during the state visit?⌵

Trump and Xi are expected to discuss trade, AI technology, tariffs, rare-earth minerals, and military ties, among other significant topics.

2Why is the Trump-Xi summit important for US-China relations?⌵

The summit represents a critical opportunity to address ongoing trade tensions, AI competition, and strategic issues that could impact the global economy.

3How is AI influencing the US-China trade and technology dialogue?⌵

AI is becoming a central point of discussion as both nations recognize its implications for national security, economic power, and technological leadership.

4Should we expect a major trade agreement to result from the Trump-Xi meeting?⌵

While discussions on tariff reductions are anticipated, expectations for a major trade agreement are low, given the complexity of ongoing negotiations.

5What is the significance of rare-earth minerals in US-China discussions?⌵

Rare-earth minerals are crucial for technology manufacturing, and China's dominance in this sector serves as an essential bargaining point in trade discussions.

Also Read | Trump, Xi may not resolve AI rivalry, but AI safety could open door for dialogue

According to the Associated Press, a 30 meter long red carpet was unfurled at the bottom of the staircase placed at the door of Xi's plane. A 21-person honor guard was arrayed on the sides of the carpet and Trump and first lady Melania Trump stood near a staircase on the side of the plane, where they greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, with handshakes. The welcome ceremony also included a flyover by two B-1 bombers, platoons from each military service, and a presentation of the flags and anthems of both countries.

An AFP report added that there were no Chinese CEOs in Xi's delegation, two sources told AFP, despite the fact that top US tech bosses, including the leaders of major AI companies, are set to attend Thursday's White House state banquet.

Ahead of Xi's arrival in Washington, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the extension of the truce, under which the countries agreed to scale back tariffs and refrain from imposing new trade restrictions. The truce, which took effect last year, came after Trump struck a deal with Xi.

Also Read | Xi Jinping's US visit schedule: Full itinerary for Trump-Xi summit

The agreement saw both sides agree to reduce tit-for-tat tariffs and for the United States to extend certain tariff exclusions.

“I don't know whether a bigger deal can be done. I don't know whether we will just roll the current deal,” Bessent said in an interview with Fox News.

Xi's visit to the US comes at a time when the world is divided over AI development. While several tech leaders and politicians in the US, cutting across party lines, have called for a slowdown in AI development and put more safety guardrails, Trump has rejected warnings. Trump also argued that warnings about AI safety are a "hoax", and that enforcing an industry-wide slowdown would hand a crucial technological advantage to China.

Beijing, which still faces export controls that effectively locked it out of accessing the latest Nvidia chipsets, has also rejected calls to slow down AI development, claiming that it was a tactic designed to maintain American technological dominance amid increasing competition from low-cost open-source alternatives from Chinese tech companies.

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