China & USA Diplomatic Protocol Display!
Washington, Sep 24 (EFE).- By Eduard Ribas i Admetlla
Despite growing tensions between the world’s two largest powers over tariffs, the Iran conflict, the future of Taiwan, and competition over artificial intelligence, United States President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, displayed harmony and cordiality Thursday at a White House summit.
Trump has been showing Xi great hospitality since his arrival in Washington on Wednesday. The US leader greeted Xi at the foot of the plane, a highly unusual gesture in the US.
The displays of goodwill continued Thursday with a military ceremony at the White House. The president and First Lady Melania Trump hosted the ceremony in honor of the Chinese leader and his wife, Peng Liyuan.
During the welcome ceremony, Trump referenced his personal relationship with Xi, whom he frequently praises as a “great leader,” in an attempt to ease tensions between Washington and Beijing.
“Since my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a truly great friendship, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our peoples,” Trump said.
On his first state visit to Washington in over a decade, Xi emphasized the need to preserve “strategic stability” between the two superpowers, a concept he has used since Trump visited Beijing in May, when the two last met in person.
“There is no need for China and the US to avoid competition. However, such competition must be benign and limited,” said the Chinese leader, calling for conflict avoidance.
More cordiality than agreements
After their private meeting in the Oval Office, Trump broke with protocol by accompanying Xi to the White House gardens. There, he showed Xi the newly built helipad and the construction of a large ballroom, which he hopes will rival Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
“He’s an expert on stone and loves good granite,” Trump told the press as he walked past reporters, referring to Xi.
Xi also laughed when Trump showed him a photograph of a ballpoint pen hanging in the White House instead of a portrait of former President Joe Biden (2009-2017), a joke Trump frequently uses to question Biden’s competence.
The Chinese leader announced the upcoming arrival of a pair of giant pandas at the Atlanta Zoo as a new sign of friendship between the two countries.
These cordial scenes were predictable at a summit where no major agreements were expected. Teams from both governments had already completed the most important work.
As of Wednesday, before Xi’s arrival, they announced an extension of the tariff truce until Jan. 10. The truce, set to expire in November, put the trade war between the world’s two largest economies on hold.
Taiwan is a priority for Beijing
For Xi, the central issue of the meeting was Taiwan. Beijing claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and does not rule out annexing it by force.
According to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua, he asked his counterpart to oppose the island’s independence.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has cast doubt on Washington’s historic commitment to defending the island and has held up authorization for a significant arms package that Taipei considers vital since their last meeting.
Regarding the situation in Iran, Trump entered the meeting in a weaker position than in May because the conflict remains at a stalemate, which could affect the outcome of the November midterm elections.
Nevertheless, Trump is determined to pressure Beijing, the main buyer of Iranian oil, to join the economic isolation of the Islamic Republic.
AI gains importance
Unlike in May, artificial intelligence played a much more prominent role at this meeting. Trump ignored calls from US tech industry leaders to slow progress amid fears that China could overtake the US in this field.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that he wants AI to remain “exactly as it is,” while Xi referred to the technology during the meeting and called for it to “remain under human control and benefit the people.”
On Tuesday, the Trumps hosted a state dinner in honor of Xi and Peng. The menu blended the culinary traditions of both countries, and guests from the US tech sector attended, including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.
In November, the leaders of the US and China may meet again at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in China.EFE
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