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President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House with a formal South Lawn ceremony that included a military review and flyover before the pair held more than two hours of talks in the Oval Office and toured a new helipad, according to Reuters. The events capped the second day of a summit that a Reuters assessment described as heavy on symbolism with little sign of breakthroughs on thorny topics including artificial intelligence, trade and Taiwan. Protesters outside the gates chanted slogans audible to the leaders as they posed for photographs, the news agency reported.
Pomp appeared to prevail over substance during the visit, the Financial Times reported, with Trump touting tremendous strides on trade even though officials only extended a trade war truce by two months to January. Xi stated that the superpowers should “hold the line of no conflict and no confrontation,” according to the newspaper’s coverage of his remarks. Trump declared that China and the US must “coexist in peace” while presenting the Chinese leader with a bald eagle statue during the evening’s events.
A state dinner in the East Room drew a guest list dominated by technology executives including Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple, Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Sam Altman of OpenAI, AP News reported. The menu blended American ingredients with subtle Chinese influences, starting with a toast of Schramsberg Blanc de Noir sparkling wine that referenced the 1972 Nixon visit to Beijing and continuing with sesame-crusted sea bass accompanied by braised baby bok choy. First lady Melania Trump’s office described the culinary approach as one that brought the traditions of both nations together.
In his toast Trump said “President Xi and I both understand we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure, and we’ve never gotten along better” before adding that “together, we can continue to build a relationship that promotes prosperity and security for future generations.” Xi for his part noted that “President Trump has pledged to make America great again” and that “China is committed to achieving great national rejuvenation,” stating that “these two goals are both ambitious and can surely be mutually reinforcing.” The Chinese leader also urged both sides to “nurture the beautiful flowers of Sino-US friendship” during the black-tie affair attended by 134 guests.
Trump went off script to invite attendees to view the construction site of a new White House ballroom after the entertainment, joking that “anybody who wants to walk into a construction site that’s nice and clean, it’s our honour to have you do so,” the Financial Times reported. He touted that the completed space could host 1,000 people. The president described the bald eagle statue gift as an embodiment of America’s free spirit that he hoped would find a place in Beijing.
This summit marked Xi’s first visit to Washington in more than a decade and the second meeting between the two leaders this year, according to a Reuters tally. The Associated Press noted that Senate Democrats had criticized the emphasis on pageantry given the unresolved differences over the war in Iran and other strategic concerns. Xi told those gathered that the countries had reached common understanding on many issues, adding new substance to the relationship of strategic stability.
