Washington is hosting a meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies – US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump billed it a "big day." Bilateral trade, artificial intelligence, and geopolitics are on the agenda. The UN General Assembly is also convening nearby.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for a state visit, greeted with a red carpet and a military flyover. This is Xi's first state visit to the US in a decade. The itinerary includes a state dinner with tech executives and a visit to the National Archives.

According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, Xi called for cooperation with the US: "Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals," he said. He also expressed looking forward to "in-depth exchanges" with Trump on bilateral relations and the global situation.

US President Donald Trump said on social media that AI would be a "big topic of discussion," but that the US prefers its own Department of Justice as a "guardrail" rather than international cooperation. He asserted that China holds the same position.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the two countries agreed to extend their trade truce by two months. The extension of the so-called "Busan Agreement" – an economic detente set to expire on November 10 – buys both sides more time to negotiate.

The case of Hong Kong democracy advocate Jimmy Lai may be raised. A White House spokesperson said Trump wants Lai released and urged Chinese authorities to grant him humanitarian parole. Lai, a 78-year-old media tycoon, was sentenced to 20 years in prison under the National Security Law imposed by China in 2020.

Analysts say expectations for a breakthrough are slim. Despite deep disagreements, the two leaders are holding the summit to project stability on the world stage. Discussions are expected to cover trade, AI, the wars in Iran and Ukraine, and Taiwan.

Source: www.dw.com