BEIJING (AP) — President Donald Trump told Xi Jinping on Thursday that “it’s an honor to be your friend,” even as his Chinese counterpart offered warnings about avoiding a possible clash between the two nations during their much-watched bilateral meeting.
The stark contrast in tone underscored just how far apart the leaders remain on thorny issues including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relationship with Taiwan — and suggested that Trump and Xi’s highly anticipated meetings are likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than major breakthroughs.
The meeting was behind closed doors, but the official Xinhua news agency reported that Xi told Trump that if Taiwan is not handled correctly, the U.S. and China risk “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
That followed public opening remarks at the Great Hall of the People, where Trump was full of platitudes, saying of Xi, “You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.”
“It’s an honor to be with you. It’s an honor to be your friend,” Trump said before promising that “the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”
Xi was darker in his opening remarks, expressing hope that the U.S. and China can avoid conflict while saying that history and the world were asking “whether the two countries can transcend the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new model for relations between major powers.”
China’s leader used a term popular in foreign policy studies, referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established power, the result is often war.
“Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both,” Xi said. “The two countries should be partners rather than rivals, achieve success together and pursue common prosperity, and chart a correct path for major-country relations in the new era.”
Xi has mentioned “Thucydides Trap” before with regards to U.S.-China relations, dating back to as early as 2014. China’s leader included it in his messages to Trump’s predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden, in 2022 and 2024. Still, his evoking the term as Trump began his visit with optimism was noteworthy.
The meeting wrapped up after about two hours and the White House didn’t offer an official readout. Those discussions were held in the Great Hall of the People, an imposing building on Tiananmen Square that houses China’s legislature, and followed a sweeping greeting for Trump that featuring booming cannons and a band playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and China’s national anthem.
School children in bright colors offered a welcome routine, jumping as the girls waved flowers and the boys hoisted American and Chinese flags while the two leaders walked past them.
The Republican president was subsequently planning to visit the Temple of Heaven, a religious complex dating to the 15th century, before attending a state banquet with Xi.
The White House has insisted that Trump wouldn’t be making the trip without an eye toward securing results before he leaves — suggesting there could be announcements coming on trade, including a Chinese commitment to buy U.S. soybeans, beef and aircraft. Trump administration officials also want to work toward establishing a Board of Trade with China to address commercial differences between the countries.
But neither side has yet offered concrete details on what might come out of the three-day visit at a time when Beijing’s close economic ties to Iran could complicate matters.
Economic questions still loom
Trump’s trip comes as Iran continues to dominate his domestic agenda and stoke fears about the prospect of a weakening U.S. economy as the election season ahead of November’s midterms — when Republicans will be looking to maintain control of Congress — begins heating up.
The U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, stranding oil and natural gas tankers and causing energy prices to spike, threatening global economic growth.
Back in Washington, the politics of the war got more complicated. Senate Republicans again blocked Democratic legislation to halt hostilities in Iran — but Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski bucked her party, becoming the third Republican in the chamber to vote against continuing the war.
China is the largest purchaser of Iranian oil, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity that Trump will make the case for Beijing to exert its influence on Iran, noting that administration officials will underscore that “economies are melting down because of this crisis” which means consumers are “buying less Chinese product.”
