Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for closer economic cooperation, fair treatment of businesses and greater coordination on artificial intelligence (AI) during his state visit to the United States, as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilise relations amid continuing trade and technology tensions.
Speaking at a White House arrival ceremony hosted by US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Sept 24), Xi said China remained open to American investment and hoped Chinese companies would receive fair treatment in the United States.
“Working together, we can lengthen the list of cooperation and shorten the list of issues,” Xi said, according to a report by Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
The visit, scheduled for Sept 23 to 25, marks Xi’s first state visit to the United States in more than a decade and follows Trump’s visit to China earlier this year. The leaders’ latest meeting comes as the world’s two largest economies seek to manage differences over tariffs, critical minerals, advanced technology and regional security.
Xi said both countries had a responsibility to ensure that AI development remained under human control and benefited society.
He also called for stronger communication between government departments responsible for foreign affairs, economic and financial cooperation, law enforcement and people-to-people exchanges.
On economic ties, Xi proposed increasing direct flights between China and the United States to facilitate travel and trade. He also expressed Beijing’s willingness to strengthen cooperation on counternarcotics and law enforcement.
The state visit comes as both countries agreed to extend their existing trade truce by two months, providing additional time to negotiate unresolved issues. However, differences over tariffs, Chinese purchases of American goods, rare-earth supplies and technology restrictions remain subjects of negotiation.
Xi said competition between the two countries should remain within bounds, while their militaries should maintain regular dialogue and improve crisis communication mechanisms to reduce the risk of confrontation.
In a people-to-people initiative, he announced that China would invite 100,000 young Americans to visit the country for exchanges and study over the next five years.
Xi also said two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, would arrive at Zoo Atlanta in the coming days, describing the animals as symbols of friendship between the two countries.
