Trump, Xi begin state visit with nod at fierce AI rivalry

How the leaders will handle AI is one of the key questions looming over their summit, with the U.S. president arguing for unfettered development of the technology in order to keep his nation’s edge over China.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping addressed their intense competition over artificial intelligence during a summit aimed at keeping ties between the world’s largest economies on track. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Sept. 24, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski, AFP/Getty Images/TNS) By JEFF MASON, HADRIANA LOWENKRON AND NECTAR GAN BLOOMBERG NEWS WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) — Donald Trump and Xi Jinping addressed their intense competition over artificial intelligence on Thursday during a summit aimed at keeping ties between the world’s largest economies on track. How the leaders are handling AI is one of the key questions looming over the state visit, with the U.S.

president arguing for unfettered development to keep his nation’s edge. China, meanwhile, has criticized American export controls on semiconductors and other inputs that it argues constrains its companies. Trump said the two would discuss issues related to security, technology and AI. “If we focus on our common interests, I’m confident there is much we can achieve throughout history,” he said during remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House. Earlier, the U.S. president posted on social media that he wants to keep AI “exactly where it is,” suggesting he would stand by his long-standing opposition to guardrails. By contrast, China’s top leader indicated