Trump-Xi Handshake Meets a Long List of US-China Disputes

The handshake looks friendly.

The agenda is anything but simple.

US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a state visit dominated by trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war in Iran.

Xi’s visit is his first to Washington in more than a decade and the second meeting between the two leaders this year.

Trump gave Xi an unusually personal welcome, receiving him at Joint Base Andrews before the White House ceremony.

The two countries, however, remain divided on several major issues.

Trade is still one. Technology is another. AI is becoming an even bigger battlefield as Washington and Beijing compete over chips, computing power and the future of advanced artificial intelligence.

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Then there is Taiwan.

And now Iran has added another layer.

China’s relationship with Tehran has become an important issue in the wider Middle East crisis, while Washington is trying to manage a war that has consequences far beyond the region.

Xi has called for stronger communication between Washington and Beijing and warned against conflict and confrontation.

Trump has described his relationship with Xi as a “truly great friendship”.

Diplomacy, however, has a funny habit of making friendships do some very expensive work.

The real test is whether the smiles at the White House can survive negotiations over the issues that actually divide the two countries. ValidViewNetwork reports.