AI race dominates agenda as Trump dismisses safety concerns
Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday evening, greeting the Chinese leader on the tarmac alongside first lady Melania Trump. The arrival launched a two-day state visit that will include a White House reception, a state dinner with major American technology executives, and discussions on trade and artificial intelligence.
The arrival ceremony featured a 100-foot red carpet flanked by US service members, a military flyover by two B-1 bombers, and a presentation of the flags and national anthems of both countries. US presidents typically greet visiting foreign leaders at the White House rather than at the airfield.
Separately on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the US and China had agreed to extend the so-called “Busan agreement,” a temporary trade truce between the two governments. Bessent, who met Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng earlier in the day, told Fox News the agreement would be extended until January 10, two months after the truce was originally due to expire.
The two-day visit is set to include a 21-gun salute on the South Lawn of the White House, private tea with Trump and the first lady, and a tour of the National Archives. The pageantry reciprocates the treatment Trump received when he visited China earlier this year and marks the second Trump-Xi meeting of 2026.
On Thursday, the White House has invited executives from OpenAI, Apple, xAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Meta to a state dinner for Xi. Competition over artificial intelligence development is expected to be a major topic of the leaders’ discussions.
Trump has dismissed concerns that AI development could harm people. In a post on Truth Social last week, he wrote: “There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China. WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so.”
The president and members of his administration have insisted that leading AI development also means leading the world militarily and economically, according to reporting on the state visit. Several technology executives have publicly warned about the dangers of rapid AI development, the same reporting said.
“He’s coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect,” Melania Trump said on Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning.