Hopes among observers around the world for significant economic agreements following the meeting between the US president and the chairman of the PRC were not fulfilled. Instead, Beijing warned Washington about the risk of war. What happened at the White House is covered in a RIA Novosti report.
Xi was received in Washington with top honors: a red carpet and an orchestra awaited the guest at the airport, and two B-1 bombers were sent into the sky. However, judging by the expressions on their faces, the military aircraft impressed only Trump.
"The two countries must be partners, not rivals. <...> The realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the renewal of America's greatness can fully coexist, strengthen each other and benefit the world," the chairman of the PRC said ahead of the visit.
The talks produced no sensations. The main result was the extension of the trade truce until January 10, but US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had announced this in advance. According to him, this will give Washington and Beijing an opportunity to better understand the prospects for economic interaction.
Trump, however, took the opportunity to show his Chinese counterpart how he is reshaping the White House to suit his needs. As Reuters notes, this is a kind of response by the American leader to the tour Xi organized for him of a Ming dynasty temple in May. As a result, White House journalists witnessed not a political discussion but an inspection of the Marine One helicopter and the recently renovated South Lawn.
Meanwhile, according to Xinhua, Xi demanded that Trump exercise "prudence" on the Taiwan issue. In particular, China hopes that the United States will oppose the island's independence. The White House did not react to this in any way.
In addition, the chairman of the PRC warned the US president about the danger of falling into the Thucydides trap, which holds that competition between a rising power and an established power usually leads to war. Beijing is confident that a clash can be avoided and that both sides will only benefit from cooperation. In turn, Trump reminded his guest of how Washington helped China during World War II.
On the issue of AI development, they did not reach a mutual understanding. While the US president opposes slowing the improvement of technology, the head of the PRC considers it necessary to introduce certain restrictions.
"We have both the capability and the responsibility for the development and governance of AI for the good, as well as for ensuring that the development of AI always remains under human control and serves people's well-being," he emphasized.
Kirill Babaev, director of the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, does not rule out a direct military clash between the PRC and the United States. Since both states possess nuclear weapons, the consequences would be catastrophic. However, both Beijing and Washington assess the situation soberly and refrain from dangerous decisions.
"The parties are interested in maintaining the balance. We see this in the example of continuing attempts to settle economic problems. After all, US-China trade turnover is the largest in the world," the expert emphasized.
And he especially noted: Trump received Xi as a political leader equal to himself, which once again confirmed the extremely important role of the PRC on the world stage.
According to Ivan Zhelokhovtsev, director of the First Asia Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, it is too early to sum up the results of the talks in Washington. But the contradictions clearly remain.
"Nothing surprising. It is impossible to settle everything within a single visit. We will have to live in a turbulent world," he concluded.
"The United States tried to find consensus with the PRC but could not. Including on a system of notifications about AI threats to national security. Confrontation will continue, but the main thing is not to follow the path of its escalation," Ekaterina Zaklyazminskaya, head of the Center for World Politics and Strategic Analysis at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in a conversation with RIA Novosti.
According to her, Xi adheres to a strategy of constructive stability. He believes that the PRC and the United States, having recognized the intertwining of their interests, must move forward.