Two great leaders attempt to maintain a fragile trade truce

US President Donald Trump gave Chinese President Xi Jinping a warm welcome and personally welcomed him to a military base in Maryland on Wednesday. The three-day summit comes amid tensions between the two countries over trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war in Iran. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump gave an unusually lavish welcome to Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening. The ceremony featured a 100-foot (30-meter) long red carpet, a flyover of military aircraft, a 21-gun salute, and a US Air Force band. Xi's Air China plane landed at 5:39 p.m. local time, followed by military honors and a guard of honor on both sides of the red carpet. Trump and Melania arrived in the presidential limousine "The Beast" and walked to the plane to greet the Chinese president and his wife. The two couples shook hands and after a brief conversation, posed for photos together walking the red carpet. Two B-1 bombers flew overhead while the National Anthem was played by the US Army Air Force Band. In addition, six F-16 and six F-22 aircraft were also present on the runway for the reception. Trump's arrival at the military base to welcome Xi shows the importance of the visit to Washington. It is the first time since 1962 that a US president has personally received a foreign leader at a military base. British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was welcomed here by then President John F. Kennedy.
Xi's visit to Washington, his first since 2015, comes as the world's two largest economies seek to strengthen ties after years of trade tensions, while competing for advanced technology and strategic influence.
The two leaders are expected to have a closed-door meeting at the White House, followed by a state dinner. The agenda for the talks is expected to include tariffs, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the wider implications of the Iran war, while the two sides will also try to preserve a fragile trade truce.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said Washington and Beijing had agreed to extend the tariff truce until January. The arrangement, which was originally set to expire on November 10, led to tariff cuts on some goods and a temporary halt to China's ban on rare earth element exports. Besant said after meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that the two sides also discussed whether the temporary arrangement could eventually pave the way for a broader trade deal. He said he was open to both possibilities of simply continuing the Busan arrangement or considering a larger trade deal. The truce came after a sharp rise in tensions in 2025, when tariffs on both sides exceeded 100 percent at one point, after which Washington and Beijing began negotiating a series of measures to reduce tensions. According to China's official Xinhua news agency, Xi emphasized cooperation between the two countries. He said the two countries should be partners, not rivals. He described the United States and China as great countries and their people as great people. Xi said that realizing the great renaissance of the Chinese nation and making America great again can fully coexist, strengthen each other and benefit the world. He expressed confidence that his visit would prove fruitful.
Xi has been accompanied by high-level Chinese officials in Washington, including Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Chi, Vice Premier He Lifeng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Artificial intelligence is also expected to be a key topic of discussion, as Washington and Beijing compete in the field of advanced chips and AI technology. Besant has said the U.S. has proposed a notification system that would allow the two countries to alert each other of artificial intelligence incidents with potential national security implications. The White House has also indicated that trade restrictions on advanced computer chips will remain a major issue, although the Trump administration has allowed Nvidia to sell some chips to certain approved Chinese customers. It will include an aerial display by B-2 Spirit bombers and four F-22 Raptors. Trump and Xi are scheduled to hold bilateral meetings in the Oval Office, after which the Chinese president and Peng Liyuan will attend a state dinner hosted by the president and first lady. Melania Trump is also expected to accompany Peng Liyuan on a tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art during the talks. Attending the official dinner will be Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon. The visit will conclude on Friday. Trump and Melania are expected to hold tea with Chinese President Xi and Peng, after which the Chinese couple will visit the National Archives and then depart for China.