What Trump Wants From Xi Jinping After Giving Him A King's Welcome

When Chinese President Xi Jinping's plane landed at Joint Base Andrews near Washington after over a decade, his American counterpart was waiting for him on the tarmac. US presidents usually receive heads of state at the White House, but the optics are paramount for Xi as Donald Trump extends a king's welcome to his Chinese counterpart. That's far more feted than what leaders of allied nations who called on Trump during his turbulent second term have received.

Additional fanfare during the trip is due to include a closed-door meeting with Trump and Xi, a state dinner with tech luminaries, a White House military ceremony, and a visit to the National Archives, where the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed.

What Trump Wants From Xi

The scene stood in stark contrast to Trump's state visit to Beijing in May, indicating a shift in the global status quo. Trump did not receive an airport pickup from Xi and left China without a formal deal, a press conference, or even a joint communique. 

But the meeting comes at a difficult moment for Trump, who faces public discontent with his war on Iran. With midterm elections in the US approaching, the US leader seeks to calm the growing unease among the Americans about China's rapid ascent. He wants optics. 

Shifting Dynamics

While Xi is also facing challenges at home, he arrives in a seemingly stronger position, with his country's trade engine roaring. 

Both economies have grown remarkably over the decade, and while the US still maintains a strong edge, what's important is that Beijing has gained the capabilities to check Washington and "the will to use those capabilities," Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Centre, a Washington-based think tank, told the Associated Press.

That was on display last year when China matched President Donald Trump's whopping 125 per cent tariffs, nearly freezing trade and leveraging a near-monopoly in processing critical minerals -- crucial for products from smartphones to fighter jets -- to force the US to stand down.

"In the past, China was disadvantaged in terms of strength, and it was not an equal to the US," Sun said. "But now it is considered a near-peer."

What To Expect From Meet

Citing people familiar with the plans, news agency Reuters reported that Xi was likely to raise Beijing's claim to Taiwan, a topic Washington would prefer to avoid. Trump, meanwhile, was likely to maintain firm export controls over Xi's objections. It was unclear whether Beijing would help Trump break a stalemate in the conflict with Iran.

In slight relief to markets, the US has already announced that China has agreed to extend the trade truce till early next year, but talks set for Thursday could yield more deals to lower tariffs in specific sectors, cooperate on drug trafficking, and expand military-to-military dialogue. 

Trump is also reportedly expected to seek the release of some Americans and others detained in China.

Another pressing issue between the two superpowers is artificial intelligence, where they are in fierce competition despite growing dangers. The two countries could also agree to talk more on the issue, as leaders themselves may not feel they need to compromise, analysts said.

"The president very much believes that over time the US economy is going to grow, and the US will get stronger," Edgard Kagan, a former White House official now with Washington's Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told Reuters. 

"I think when Xi Jinping sits down with Donald Trump, he very much believes the US is in hurtling decline, and that time is on China's side."

During the state dinner, chiefs of companies important in both markets, like Apple's John Ternus, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, and OpenAI's Sam Altman, are expected to come together. With the gathering, both countries, despite their deep disagreements, seek to project stability between the world's biggest factory and its biggest consumer.

Overall, both nations are likely to present a highly scripted spectacle. Instead of a joint press conference at the end, the countries are expected to issue duelling announcements highlighting what each side hopes to convey to domestic audiences.