Xi reminds Trump of the importance of "strategic stability" during the visit to the White House

WashingtonThe harsh criticisms against China, which during the pandemic culminated in constant references to the "Chinese virus", have vanished. The American president, Donald Trump, showcased good rapport this Thursday with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during his visit to the White House, the first in a decade. "Many things have changed since he was last here," the tycoon stated. The previous time Xi visited the presidential residence was in 2015, with Barack Obama as host.

Many things have changed, as Trump noted. First, the strategic forecasts of that decade regarding China's evolution as the main rival power have practically consolidated. Xi's speech was a confirmation that Beijing already considers itself an equal to Washington, and accordingly, the best thing the two giants can do is not to trip each other up. The Chinese leader has once again invoked the idea of "strategic stability" that he already proposed in May during the Republican's visit to China.

"We must coexist in peace, as I have said many times. China and the United States, as two great powers, have much to gain from cooperation and both will lose if they enter into confrontation. There is no need to avoid talking about competition, but our competition should be healthy and remain within limits," the Chinese leader stated.

Xi proposes a world where his country and the US are the two great giants that can exist in relative peace if they do not interfere in each other's interests. The Chinese leader did not make explicit reference to it, but between the kind wordsone could read the name of Taiwan. For years, Beijing has claimed the autonomous island as part of its territory, while the US has taken charge of acting as the bodyguard for the major microchip producer. Although Trump's return to the White House has cooled this position: for months, an arms package worth 14 billion dollars for Taiwan has been frozen.

The postponement of military aid is part of this delicate truce in which the two countries are giving each other some breathing room. Not out of a desire to cooperate, but due to a timely confluence of interests. The other side of this balance is the pause in the trade war that the two countries have granted each other. China was the only country that last year stood up to Trump's universal tariffs and managed to make him back down by restricting the export of critical minerals to the US. Just before the meeting, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had already announced that Washington was extending this truce for another two months.

AI under human control

Xi has offered one of the most categorical statements regarding the future of artificial intelligence amidst growing concerns about the dangers it may entail. The Chinese leader has declared that both countries must ensure that AI "is always under human control". For his part, Trump –who remains insistent on calling it "superintelligence"– has stated that "the decisions we make today in these areas can foster peace and prosperity for decades and decades".

This Thursday's reception reveals once again that the visit was more of a whim of Trump's to get the photo with Xi at the White House than a meeting where anything was going to be resolved. Most likely, Trump will avoid making definitive decisions on these issues and will postpone them until the end of the year, when he will meet with Xi again at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum and the G-20.

After the reception on the tarmac with the fighter jets and the B-2 bomber, Trump received Xi Jinping at the White House to the sound of a military fanfare and a display of the American and Chinese flags. All executed by more than 400 American soldiers. In his turn, the tycoon liked to emphasize the "great friendship" with his Chinese counterpart, in another proof of the triumph of his personalist diplomacy.

But, for Xi, it is not about the personal relationship, but about the power relationship between two powers. "The interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined," said the Chinese leader, who made his expectations about this rapprochement explicit. "China keeps its doors wide open, and welcomes American companies that want to invest and do business there. We hope that Chinese companies will be treated fairly here, in the United States," he stated. During the official visit in May, Trump arrived in China accompanied by the main leaders of the big tech companies to discuss possible business.

Xi has reciprocated Trump and thanked him for the hospitality on "behalf of the 1.4 billion people" of China, in a reminder that he leads a country four times larger than the US. The Chinese leader also announced that he will send a second pair of pandas, this time to the Atlanta zoo, as a sign of "friendship" between the two countries.