China’s president Xi Jinping begins a highly anticipated state visit to the United States as thorny issues dominate the talks, saying the “two countries shoulder a historic responsibility”.
US president Donald Trump hailed the “truly great friendship” he has developed with Xi Jinping as the Chinese president began his state visit to the United States on Thursday.
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In his opening remarks before the formal talks at the White House, Xi told Trump that he is “ready to work with you to steer the giant ship of China-US relationship on a steady course toward the future,” and that the two countries “must hold the line of no conflict and no confrontation.”
The Chinese leader underlined that China and the United States are the two superpowers that “facing the changes in our world, in our times, and of historical significance today”, they “shoulder a historic responsibility of advancing human development and progress”.
“We can certainly find the right path for two great countries to get along on this planet we both call home_,”_ Xi said, adding that “through candid, in-depth, and continued dialogue, our two countries can understand each other better, seek common ground, while shelving differences and build up mutual trust.”
Xi’s highly anticipated visit to Washington started with the two leaders proclaiming their long relationship, but the two global economic rivals were gearing up to discuss the key thorny issues in their formal talks.
“From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people,” Trump said, while also touching on cooperation during World War 2.
But moving on, Trump said the US and China were working towards “more balanced” trade relations and that their talks would focus on foreign affairs, trade, financial cooperation, security and artificial intelligence which they identified as a major topic.
In turn, Xi said he hopes “Chinese companies are treated fairly here in the United States” while China would welcome US companies there and that “competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds.”
China has resisted the Trump administration’s urging and economic threats to use its considerable leverage to convince Iran to agree to US terms to end the Iran war, even if China which is far more dependent on Gulf oil than the US.
China condemned the US and Israeli war on Iran and Xi previously expressed concerns that the conflict signalled a return to what he then called “the law of the jungle”.
Xi is expected to press Trump again, in the same way as he did when the two leaders met in Beijing in May, to permanently end arms sales to Taiwan as China has made clear that it views Taiwan as the most sensitive issue in the US-China relationship.
Back in May, Trump described arms sales to Taiwan as a “very good negotiating chip” with China.
On trade, China is pushing for the US to loosen export restrictions on cutting-edge advanced chips.
The two sides agreed on Wednesday to extend by two months a one-year trade truce that was set to expire on November 10 as they work to find a more durable agreement.
“It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” Xi said.
Xi says China and US should make sure AI is ‘always under human control’
Xi also referred to AI in his opening comments, saying that the two countries had a responsibility to ensure that humans always operate AI.
“We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good and ensure that a development of AI is always under human control and serves the well being of the people,” the Chinese leader said.
Trump said in a social media post earlier Thursday that artificial intelligence will be high on the agenda amid growing global anxiety that the technology threatens humanity.
“I want to leave it exactly where it is,” Trump wrote. “That is China’s position also.”
The two countries’ finance ministers met earlier this week, with the US proposing a new “notification mechanism” for AI incidents between the two nations.
As the two leaders wrapped up their opening remarks, Xi also announced that China will invite 100,000 American youth to come to his country for studies and exchanges in the next five years and that China will send two pandas to the zoo in Atlanta.
He called the beloved animals an “envoy of friendship.”