Trump and Xi Open White House State Visit with Calls for Cooperation

President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a state visit, describing their relationship as a "truly great friendship" built on mutual respect, even as the two leaders acknowledged deep-seated differences between the world's largest economies.

Speaking in the Grand Foyer before formal talks, Trump noted that Xi is the first Chinese leader to make a second formal state visit to the United States. He recalled their meetings across several countries since his first election in 2016, and said the visit would address security, technology and super intelligence — areas where, he said, decisions taken now could shape peace and prosperity for decades.

Trump also invoked the two countries' shared history as allies during World War II, saying that if they focus on common interests, much can be achieved.

Xi, speaking in Mandarin, said both nations shoulder a historic responsibility for human development and progress. He called for cooperation with sincerity, noting that Chinese and American interests are "deeply intertwined" and that there is ample room for joint work.

"China-US cooperation may not solve every problem in the world, but without our cooperation, it would be hard to solve many of the world's problems," Xi said. He added that China keeps its door open to American companies and expressed hope that Chinese firms are treated fairly in the United States.

Xi also said competition between the two powers should be healthy and kept within bounds, warning against the "Thucydides trap" — the idea that conflict often results when a rising power threatens to displace an established one. He made a similar caution during Trump's visit to Beijing in May.

"It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses," Xi said.

The Chinese leader announced that China will invite 100,000 American youth to study and take part in exchanges over the next five years, and that two pandas will be sent to the zoo in Atlanta.

The visit comes as the two sides agreed on Wednesday to extend by two months a one-year trade truce that had been set to expire on November 10, while they work toward a more durable agreement. Among the issues on the agenda are US concerns over China's leverage on Iran, and Chinese priorities including a permanent halt to US arms sales to Taiwan and looser export restrictions on advanced chips.