Trump to host China’s Xi Jinping for trade, AI talks
President Donald Trump will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping this week for talks on trade and artificial intelligence.
WASHINGTON —
President Donald Trump is set to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington this week for high-stakes talks on trade, artificial intelligence, and other critical economic issues.
The visit begins Wednesday, with President Trump greeting President Xi at Joint Base Andrews, an unusual move that underscores the significance of the event, as Trump typically meets foreign leaders at the White House.
The following schedule includes a welcome ceremony, a state dinner on Thursday with several tech company CEOs in attendance, and private, closed-door meetings.
Officials said the U.S. and China may be prepared to ease tariffs on certain nonstrategic goods, a step that could benefit both nations. The talks are also expected to address China’s flow of rare earth minerals to the U.S., which are essential for manufacturing items like fighter jets and smartphones. However, officials noted that the U.S. is unlikely to ease export controls on the materials in prat because of national security concerns.
The meeting comes as President Trump has emphasized his focus on maintaining U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.
Speaking to reporters last week, Trump highlighted the strong relationship between the two nations while asserting the U.S. maintains leverage over China.
“We’re going to have a lot of different deals. We’re not just doing it for our health. We’re going to have some pretty important meetings. You know, China is paying us a lot of tariffs,” Trump said from the Oval Office Friday. “But we’re doing very well with China and President Xi and I have a good relationship.”
In addition to the talks in Washington, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are meeting with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York. The negotiations are also expected to focus heavily on artificial intelligence and China’s stockpiles of rare earth minerals.
On social media, President Trump discussed plans to create an “AI Force,” similar to the U.S.’ Space Force. President Trump also said he would work to appoint a new AI czar.
“To that end, I will be announcing, in the near future, the AI “Czar” — Only High I.Q. individuals need apply!” Trump’s Trump’s post read. “AI is the next Industrial Revolution, or Internet, but will be even larger and more impactful, possibly as much as 25% of our Country’s GDP. We are leading China, and the rest of the World, and I intend to keep it that way!”
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