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US President Donald Trump and President of the People\u2019s Republic of China Xi Jinping addressed their intense competition over artificial intelligence (AI) on Thursday during a summit aimed at keeping ties between the world\u2019s largest economies on track.<\/p>\n
How the leaders are handling AI is one of the key questions looming over the state visit, with Trump arguing for unfettered development to keep his nation\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n
China, meanwhile, has criticised American export controls on semiconductors and other inputs that it argues constrains its companies.<\/p>\n
Listen\/read: Asimov\u2019s \u2018I Robot\u2019 playing out?<\/p>\n
Trump said the two men would discuss issues related to security, technology and AI.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we focus on our common interests, I\u2019m confident there is much we can achieve throughout history,\u201d he said during remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the US president posted on social media that he wants to keep AI \u201cexactly where it is,\u201d suggesting he would stand by his longstanding\u00a0opposition\u00a0to guardrails.<\/p>\n
By contrast, China\u2019s top leader indicated some openness to setting boundaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good and ensure the development of AI is always under human control,\u201d Xi said.<\/p>\n
Read:
Silicon Valley escalates warnings about existential risks of AI
Britain will \u2018heed warnings\u2019 over AI, Burnham\u2019s deputy says
Five takeaways from Bill Gates\u2019s essay on AI\u2019s potential risks<\/p>\n
The comments represent the first time the leaders have jointly addressed warnings by Silicon Valley executives and some US policymakers that the technology could pose a threat to humanity.<\/p>\n
Superpower rivalry<\/p>\n
The summit began as state visits traditionally do, on the South Lawn, with Trump, Xi and their spouses shaking hands and posing for an official photo. A separate ceremony after their remarks included a military review and flyover.<\/p>\n
Trump was also eager to show off his renovation projects at the White House, including the massive new ballroom being built on the site of the historic East Wing, which he had demolished.<\/p>\n
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In a highly unusual move, Trump invited Xi on board the new presidential helicopter while they viewed a new stone helipad on the South Lawn.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s an expert on stone, aside from many other things, and he loves good granite,\u201d Trump said of Xi. On the meeting itself, Trump merely said it was \u201cgreat\u201d and declined to answer questions from reporters about the substance.<\/p>\n
Underneath that\u00a0pageantry, long-standing feuds linger between the superpower rivals on issues including trade and Taiwan, in addition to the new fight emerging on AI.<\/p>\n
Xi issued his most explicit\u00a0call\u00a0for Trump to change the US\u2019s stance on Taiwan, urging him to \u201coppose\u201d independence for the self-ruled island that Beijing sees as its own territory.<\/p>\n
Washington\u2019s official position on the island is that it does not support independence, and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo by either Beijing or Taipei.<\/p>\n
Trade ties<\/p>\n
Trump said Xi and he had made \u201ctremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries,\u201d referring to efforts to expand access to the Chinese market for US farmers and ranchers under the newly created Board of Trade.<\/p>\n
Against a backdrop of American and Chinese flags, Trump mostly stuck to a script in his formal remarks and did not mention the hot button issue of Taiwan.<\/p>\n
Xi, who was more expansive in his opening remarks, called to strengthen communication on trade, finance and foreign affairs with the US, saying the two sides \u201cwill both lose in confrontation\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said there is room for more direct flights between the two countries and announced that two pandas would arrive in a few days at Zoo Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia.<\/p>\n
Hours earlier, the US announced an agreement to\u00a0extend its trade truce with China by around two months to 10 January.<\/p>\n
Struck last year, that deal has kept down tariffs after Trump set off a trade war with Beijing during the first months of his second term.<\/p>\n
US voter discontent while Xi set for fourth term<\/p>\n
The visit comes at a precarious time for Trump, who is facing a cost of living crisis worsened by his decision to wage war on Iran.<\/p>\n
High prices have fuelled voter discontent, putting his fellow Republicans in danger of losing control of Congress in the November midterm elections.<\/p>\n
Some members of Trump\u2019s own party have\u00a0criticised the manner in which he is hosting Xi.<\/p>\n
These include Senators Roger Wicker, typically a reliable ally of the president, and Thom Tillis.<\/p>\n
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Xi arrived in the US powering toward a precedent-defying fourth term in office next year and with China\u2019s chokehold on rare earths giving Beijing enduring leverage. But the Chinese leader is also grappling with sluggish growth and rising youth unemployment.<\/p>\n
Xi\u2019s first state visit to the US in 11 years wasn\u2019t broadcast on major American TV television stations after Trump banned three media organisations from the White House, prompting top networks to decline to film the proceedings. White House and Chinese cameras captured it instead.<\/p>\n
During their meeting in the Oval Office, Trump made a joke about how the Chinese have the friendliest press corps, according to photographers who were present.<\/p>\n
Journalists representing print and other mediums were excluded from coverage.<\/p>\n
AI debate\u00a0<\/p>\n
While Silicon Valley\u2019s AI leaders have warned of the dangers of unbridled development of the technology, Washington and Beijing have signalled no intention to slow down AI development.<\/p>\n
Trump has dismissed the potential dangers of AI as a \u201choax\u201d while brushing aside calls for a government regulations.<\/p>\n
Beijing sees little reason to hit the breaks in part because it\u2019s already behind \u2013 though closing the gap fast.<\/p>\n
But both sides are looking at how to manage shared risks.<\/p>\n
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the administration proposed an emergency hotline for AI incidents and discussed a dialogue mechanism with his Chinese counterparts during a Sunday meeting in New York.<\/p>\n
Tensions over AI were set to be on display again on Thursday evening when Trump hosted Xi for the second state dinner of his term.<\/p>\n
On the guest list \u2013 OpenAI\u2019s Sam Altman, who has accused Chinese AI startup DeepSeek of taking a \u201cfree-ride\u201d on the developments of US frontier labs, and Jensen Huang whose best Nvidia chips are banned from being sold to China.<\/p>\n
Those frictions will be glossed over by a dinner of yellow squash velout\u00e9 and sesame-crusted sea bass.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 2026 Bloomberg<\/p>\n
#Trump #address #warnings #pose #threat #humanity<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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