Chinese President Xi Jinping began his second state visit to the U.S. on Thursday (September 24, 2026) with a formal welcome at the White House by his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, who vowed to work towards forging a better future for the two nations.

Mr.

Trump and the First Lady Melania greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the South Portico of the White House as a military band played.

The Chinese leader arrived in a black SUV Hongqi (”Red Flag”) N701, an equivalent of the Beast used by the U.S.

President.

The two couples stood together briefly on a red carpet before heading inside.

With Trump-Xi truce, China looks to reshape Asian order “Just as our people worked together to win that war, President Xi and I will continue working together to forge a better future for both of our nations,” Mr.

Trump said in brief opening remarks at the White House, recalling America’s role in World War II.

Trump said he and Mr.

Xi have forged a “truly great friendship” since his first election in 2016, built on mutual respect and the vital interest of “our people”.

No major U.S.

TV network aired live footage of the meeting or the ceremonies at the White House.

U.S., China should avoid the ‘Thucydides Trap’: Xi In his opening remarks, President Xi said he was visiting the U.S. at President Trump’s invitation to “carry on our friendship, expand cooperation, and promote the well-being of both our peoples.” “We should coexist in peace.

As I have said many times, China and the United States as two major countries stand to gain from cooperation and will both lose in confrontation,” Mr.

Xi said in the remarks delivered at the ceremony in the Grand Foyer of the White House.

He said the two countries should avoid the “Thucydides Trap”, the theory that a rising power and an established power are likely to go to war.

“We do not need to avoid mentioning competition, but our 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 when either wins, or loses,” Mr.

Xi said.

“China and the US must hold the line of no conflict and no confrontation between us.

We can certainly find the right path for our two great countries to get along on this planet.

Our two militaries should maintain regular dialogue and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention.

The Thucydides Trap can be overcome,” he said.

Xi 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 the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people,” he said.

Two pandas to settle in Atlanta zoo in a few days: Xi Mr.

Xi said a pair of pandas will make their home at Zoo Atlanta in a few days and Beijing plans to invite 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchanges and study over the next 5 years.

Speaking at the White House, Mr.

Xi also called for the two countries to increase direct flights.

China, U.S. reach consensus on multiple economic and trade issues: Chinese Commerce Ministry Mr.

Trump laid on the pomp and ceremony, treating Mr.

Xi to a formal welcome at the White House before they moved to talks in the Oval Office and finally a grand state banquet in the evening.