US President Donald Trump described his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “very productive” Friday, striking an upbeat note after talks in Washington in which artificial intelligence emerged as a key area for possible cooperation between the world’s two largest economies. Xi, meanwhile, called on the United States and China to draw on each other’s strengths in AI rather than treat technological competition solely as a contest for dominance.
The remarks followed talks at the White House Thursday during Xi’s three-day visit to the United States. It was the second meeting between Trump and Xi in less than six months, with the latest encounter taking place against the backdrop of intense competition between Washington and Beijing over advanced technologies and the development of increasingly powerful AI systems.
Trump talks ‘Super Intelligence’
Trump, writing on Truth Social after the meeting, said the talks had been productive for both countries and predicted significant developments following the discussions. He also returned to his recent suggestion that artificial intelligence should instead be called “Super Intelligence”, saying Xi appeared receptive to the term.
“Very productive meeting with President Xi for both the USA and China. Tremendous things will be happening,” Trump said. He added that Xi, like others he had spoken to, appeared to favour the alternative description for AI.
Trump has recently promoted the term “Super Intelligence”, arguing that it better reflects the capabilities and potential of rapidly advancing AI systems. His comments after meeting Xi placed the technology prominently within the broader US-China relationship, where competition over semiconductors, computing power and advanced AI models has increasingly become intertwined with economic and national-security considerations.
Xi pushes cooperation
Xi offered a more detailed outline of how Beijing believes the two countries should approach artificial intelligence. According to China’s foreign ministry, the Chinese president said both countries possessed strong capabilities in the sector and argued that technological competition should not prevent cooperation.
“The right thing to do is to draw on each other’s strengths, not guard against each other,” Xi said. He called for continued dialogue between Beijing and Washington on both the opportunities and risks created by artificial intelligence and proposed cooperation to prevent its misuse and abuse.
Xi also stressed that AI should remain under human control and be developed with a people-centred approach. Technology, he said, should ultimately serve human progress, indicating that Beijing sees AI governance and safety as potential areas for engagement even as strategic competition between the two countries continues.
AI emerges as strategic issue
Artificial intelligence has become one of the most consequential areas of US-China competition, alongside semiconductors, trade and advanced manufacturing. Both countries have invested heavily in AI infrastructure and models, while Washington has imposed restrictions intended to limit China’s access to some of the most advanced chips and semiconductor technologies.
At the same time, the rapid expansion of AI has created areas where cooperation could become increasingly important. Governments around the world are grappling with questions surrounding safety, regulation, misinformation, autonomous systems and the potential misuse of increasingly capable models.
Xi’s emphasis on keeping AI under human control and preventing misuse suggested that Beijing is seeking a channel for dialogue with Washington on some of those risks. Trump’s comments, while less detailed on governance, indicated that AI occupied a significant place in the discussions between the two leaders.
Second meeting in six months
Xi arrived in Washington as part of a three-day US visit, with his White House talks with Trump forming its diplomatic centrepiece. The meeting followed their earlier encounter less than six months ago and came as both governments sought to manage competition without allowing disputes to overwhelm the wider bilateral relationship.
The Chinese president is also expected to visit the US National Archives before leaving Washington. Trump said he wanted to show Xi some of the country’s important historical artefacts as the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding.
The contrasting but broadly positive comments after the meeting suggested that both leaders were seeking to emphasise areas where engagement remains possible. Whether their calls for cooperation on AI translate into a formal mechanism or concrete agreements, however, remains to be seen.
Meta title: Trump calls Xi meeting productive as leaders discuss AI
Meta description: Trump hailed his Xi Jinping meeting as productive as the Chinese leader called for greater US-China cooperation on artificial intelligence.