송상호
| 2026-09-25 00:49:37
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed their friendship, shared interests and the need for cooperation as they met for a summit in Washington on Thursday to discuss consequential issues, including artificial intelligence (AI), trade and security.
Trump and Xi delivered remarks during a welcome ceremony prior to their White House summit, apparently seeking to maintain strategic stability in bilateral ties, as the world is closely watching for implications for the global economy, security and technological competition.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of cooperation, recalling the history of the U.S. and China fighting alongside each other as allies during World War II.
Thursday's summit was a crucial event for both leaders given that Trump seeks stable ties with Xi ahead of the November midterm elections, with Xi angling for good summit outcomes ahead of a key political gathering -- the fifth plenum of the Communist Party's Central Committee set for next month, observers said.
"If we focus on our common interests, I'm confident there is much we can achieve," Trump said. "Throughout history, the pursuit of those common interests has connected our people across vast oceans, (despite) those big, tremendous distances and many differences, and even made us allies in World War II."
Trump noted that since his first presidential election in 2016, he and Xi have forged a "truly great friendship" built on "mutual respect and the vital interests of the two countries' peoples."
He also said that through cooperation, he and Xi have made "tremendous strides" on trade and other issues, noting that the two countries have been working to encourage a "more balanced" trading relationship.
During this week's summit, the two leaders will discuss security, technology and AI, Trump said, referring to AI as "superintelligence."
"The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come," he said.
Xi underscored the importance of cooperation between the two superpowers, calling for stronger bilateral communication and joint efforts to "coexist in peace."
"During your visit to China this year, we agreed to build a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, and this is widely welcomed by the people of our two countries and the international community," he said through an interpreter.
"I am ready to work with you to steer the giant ship of the China-U.S. relationship on a steady course toward the future."
Noting that the two countries are different in national conditions, Xi said that through "candid, in-depth, and continued dialogue," the U.S. and China "can understand each other better, seek common ground, address differences and build mutual trust."
"We should cooperate with sincerity. The interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined, and there is plenty of room for us to work together," he said. "China-U.S. 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."
Commenting on AI, Xi said that the U.S. and China are both leading nations in the field, and that they have both "the capability and responsibility" to develop and manage AI, and ensure that the development of AI is "always under human control and serves the well-being of the people."
Xi arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday, kicking off his first trip to the U.S. capital in more than a decade. Thursday's summit marked the leaders' third in-person meeting since Trump's return to office, following their previous talks in Busan, South Korea, last October, and in Beijing in May.
During their summit, Trump and Xi were expected to discuss the two countries' ongoing trade truce, which was initially set to expire on Nov. 10. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday that the United States and China agreed to extend the truce by two months until Jan. 10.
The two countries reached the truce during their summit in Busan last year, under which Washington agreed to suspend increased tariffs on Chinese goods, with Beijing suspending new export controls on rare earths and other critical minerals.
This week's summit was also expected to touch on the security of Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that China regards as part of its territory.
In addition, the leaders could discuss North Korea-related issues as Trump intends to resume diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year.
Speculation has arisen that Trump could seek a meeting with Kim during his next trip to Asia, likely for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.
During their Beijing summit, the leaders confirmed their shared goal to denuclearize North Korea, according to a White House fact sheet. But it remains uncertain whether the leaders will reaffirm the denuclearization goal at this week's talks given that both sides seek better ties with Pyongyang.
In the evening, Trump and first lady Melania Trump will greet Xi and the Chinese first lady at the North Portico of the White House for a state dinner in the East Room.
The following morning, the U.S. and Chinese presidential couples plan to travel to the National Archives in Washington, where they will view records and documents significant to the U.S.-China relationship throughout history, according to the first lady's office.
Following this week's summit, the leaders are expected to meet again on the margins of multilateral gatherings -- the APEC summit in Shenzhen and the Group of 20 summit in Miami, Florida, in December.
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