US president Donald Trump hailed the “truly great friendship” he has forged with Xi Jinping as the Chinese leader began his highly-anticipated state visit.
While Trump has many thorny issues to discuss with the president of US’s biggest economic rival, he focused on his long relationship with Xi as the two gathered with aides for opening remarks before formal talks.
Trump said: “From the time of my first election in 2016, president Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people.”
The US president said it was a “great privilege” to visit Beijing earlier this year and said Xi showed “spectacular and very beautiful hospitality”. He said he and the first lady “are honoured to host you” in “the beautiful White House”.
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Xi said in his remarks upon arriving that the “competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds”.
“It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” Xi added.
All the while, both leaders seem to believe that time is on their side as they look to outmanoeuvre the other in what is expected to be the world’s most significant economic and national security competition for years to come.
Trump said on Thursday in a social media post that artificial intelligence — “superintelligence” as he is trying to rebrand it — will be high on the agenda amid growing global anxiety that the technology will kill jobs or potentially even wipe out humanity.
“I want to leave it exactly where it is,” Trump wrote. “That is China’s position also.”
Xi also touched on artificial intelligence in his opening comments, saying that the two countries had a responsibility to ensure that humans always operate AI.
“We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good and ensure that a development of AI is always under human control and serves the well being of the people,” the Chinese leader said.
Xi also said a pair of pandas will make their home at an Atlanta zoo in a few days and Beijing plans to invite 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchanges and study over the next five years.
Speaking at the White House, Xi also called for the two countries to increase direct flights. - AP
