Trump welcomes Xi to the White House with great fanfare and praises a 'truly great friendship' with the Chinese president

President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday for a state visit steeped in protocol at the White House. Both leaders expressed a willingness to discuss artificial intelligence, but, for the time being, there is no joint statement imposing new binding controls.

Trump broke with tradition by personally greeting Xi on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, near Washington—marking the first time in more than six decades that a president has personally welcomed a foreign leader upon their arrival in the capital. Such leaders typically wait at the White House.

Trump praises his "truly great friendship" with Xi

At the welcome ceremony at the White House, Trump highlighted the personal bond he claims to have built with Xi since his first term and presented it as the foundation of mutual respect during this state visit, marked by unusually lavish protocol.

"President Xi and I have forged a friendship -- a truly great friendship, actually -- built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people," Trump said as he and Xi delivered their speeches at the White House.

Xi says both have a responsibility to promote human development

Upon being received at the White House, Xi called for more dialogue between Beijing and Washington and argued that, despite their rivalry, both powers have a duty to contribute to human progress.

"China and the United States, as two major powers, bear the historic responsibility to advance human development and progress," he said. "We must strengthen communication."

Managing AI for the "common good"

At the White House, Xi placed artificial intelligence at the center of his agenda with Trump and maintained that the two powers must guide its development toward shared benefits, without losing human control over the technology.

"We have both the ability and the responsibility to develop and manage AI for the common good and ensure that its development is always under human control," he said at the White House.

Xi asserts that both countries must avoid "conflict" and "confrontation"

Xi maintained that China and the United States cannot afford to drift toward open conflict. At the same event, he called on the militaries of both countries to maintain regular dialogue and strengthen channels for crisis prevention.

"China and the United States must adhere to the principle of not allowing conflicts or confrontations between us," he said. "Our two armed forces must maintain regular dialogue and improve communication and crisis prevention mechanisms."

Xi confirms that the panda couple will travel to a U.S. Zoo

The Chinese president confirmed Thursday that a pair of giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will soon travel to the Atlanta Zoo. The shipment revives so-called "panda diplomacy" and fulfills a conservation agreement announced months ago, after several pandas returned to China upon the expiration of previous loan agreements.

"In a few days, two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will arrive at their new home at the Atlanta Zoo and meet the American people," Xi said after arriving at the White House.