US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state dinner at the White House on Thursday, bringing together senior business leaders and political figures as the two countries sought to manage tensions over trade, technology and global conflicts.
Among the prominent guests were Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Their presence highlighted the importance of technology and artificial intelligence in the broader US-China relationship.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House. Outside, protesters gathered and chanted slogans including "Xi Jinping is not welcome" and "Free Hong Kong," according to AFP reporters at the scene.
Trump hails 'tremendous strides'
The dinner followed a day of ceremonial events, including a military parade, a flyover and a visit to the White House helipad.
Trump said the two sides had made "tremendous strides" during Xi's visit. At the dinner, he said, "President Xi and I both understand that we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure."
Xi, however, struck a more measured tone, stressing the need for the two countries to "coexist in peace".
"China and the United States must act as responsible major countries," Xi said during his dinner remarks.
Taiwan and AI remain key differences
Despite the diplomatic pageantry, several major disagreements remained on the table.
Xi said Washington and Beijing must ensure there is "no conflict and no confrontation" and argued that AI should remain "always under human control."
During their Oval Office discussions, Xi also urged Trump to show "prudence" over Taiwan and oppose moves towards the island's independence.
The Chinese president also called for an end to the Iran war "through negotiation as soon as possible."
Trade truce extended
Trump presented Xi with a custom-made bald eagle statue, while guests were served yellow squash veloute, sesame crusted sea bass and vanilla cremeux with White House honey ice cream.
The two leaders also visited the site of Trump's planned $400 million White House ballroom. Trump told guests, "In honor of you, you'll be the first people to step foot on that."
The visit produced a limited trade outcome, with the existing truce extended by two months until January. Xi's visit is scheduled to conclude on Friday with a visit to the US National Archives, which houses the Declaration of Independence.