US President Donald Trump hosted a state dinner at the White House in honour of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended by leading technology figures including Tesla chief Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
According to foreign media, inviting prominent technology leaders indicated that the United States sought to keep trade and artificial intelligence among the key topics of Xi’s visit.
Trump and Xi began the day with an official reception, a military parade and an air show. Trump described the meeting as a major development, saying the two countries had different systems but that ties between their peoples remained intact.
Xi called for peaceful coexistence between China and the US and urged both countries to act as responsible major powers. He also stressed the need to keep artificial intelligence under human control.
Xi urged caution over Taiwan’s independence and called for an early negotiated end to the war in Iran. Demonstrators outside the White House chanted slogans against Xi and demanded independence for Hong Kong.
Trump gifted Xi a special statue of an eagle, the national symbol of the United States. After dinner, Trump also showed guests the White House’s $400 million ballroom under construction.
Although no major breakthrough emerged, the two sides reportedly agreed to extend their trade truce by another two months, until January. Xi’s visit will conclude with a visit to the US National Archives, where the historic Declaration of Independence is preserved.
