Trump and Xi exchange warm words at state dinner but little progress on key issues

US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping exchanged warm words at a lavish White House state dinner but gave little indication of progress on pressing issues.

Xi stressed that they should ensure AI remain "under human control" and act "as responsible major countries", while Trump toasted a future of "harmony, peace and success" for both nations.

But tensions remain despite the diplomatic niceties, including over Taiwan - with Xi urging Trump earlier in the day to take the "correct position" on the self-governing island which Beijing claims, amid a weapons package paused by Trump.

Billionaire business leaders and US tech CEOs joined the leaders at the extravagant dinner late on Thursday.

Their arrival was marked by protesters shouting from just outside the White House gates, some of whom were arrested.

Trump lavished praise on Xi during his first visit to the US in over a decade, telling those attending the dinner that while the two countries had "different systems", they had "never gotten along better".

Xi meanwhile welcomed the "historic juncture" in US-China relations - and said both leaders' ambitions could "surely be mutually reinforcing".

"China and the United States must act as responsible major countries to meet the expectations of our peoples, keep pace with the trend of our times, and explore a new approach for major countries to get along with each other," he said.

While Xi said he and Trump had shared "in-depth exchanges and reached common understanding on many issues", little mention was made of the crucial matters which divide the leaders of the world's two most powerful countries.

China believes the US is trying to contain its rise as a superpower, and it wants Washington to stay out of its way - particularly when it comes to trade, technology and Taiwan.

Trump has meanwhile been expected to aim for deals around trade and tariffs during the visit – like lowering Chinese tariffs on American goods, increasing imports of Chinese rare earth minerals, and increasing exports of US agricultural products.

Trump has been blunt about his ambitions for artificial intelligence (AI) - and clear that he considers China to be the US's main rival for its development.

But beyond Xi's reference to AI remaining under "human control", little indication was given of what progress the two leaders may have made on the issue during their talks.

The dinner also came just hours after Chinese state media reported Xi had, behind closed doors, advised Washington to handle "with prudence" its approach to Taiwan. Washington is yet to comment publicly on the remarks.

The US is legally bound to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but Trump delayed approving a $14bn (£11bn) arms package for it after Xi in May warned that mishandling the issue could cause the two countries to "collide or even enter into conflict".

At the time, Trump called it a "very good negotiating chip" with Beijing.

The evening marked a continuation of the lavish welcome Xi has so far received in the US.

Trump presented the Chinese president with a sculpture of a bald eagle - America's national symbol - saying it embodied "the free and soaring spirit of America". First Lady Melania had participated in its design, Trump added.

Others in attendance included key White House figures, such as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, chief of staff Monica Crowley, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

They were joined by scores of US officials, as well as conservative broadcasters, tech industry bosses, social media CEOs and corporate executives.

Apple's Tim Cook and Nvidia's Jensen Huang were seated at the same table as Trump and Xi, as was Elon Musk, who previously worked in Trump's administration leading the effort to shrink government.

OpenAI's Sam Altman, Google's Sundar Pichai, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos were also present, as were Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Yass, the American billionaire who owns a share of TikTok.

The leaders of companies including General Motors, Visa, Paramount Skydance and ExxonMobil could also be seen in the room.

"Everybody wanted to be there," Trump said ahead of the event. "I would say you have the entire tech world, the entire banking world, and a lot more."

One notable absence was Anthropic - one of the biggest and most valuable AI firms in the world. The BBC has asked Anthropic if it was invited, or if they chose not to be there.

The office of the First Lady Melania Trump, which planned the event, said the dinner menu would showcase "American ingredients with subtle Chinese influence".

The first course was yellow squash, wild mushrooms and crispy pancetta. The guests ate off red tablecloths - red being a symbol of luck and good fortune in China.

For their main course they dined on a sesame-crusted sea bass, braised bok choy and roasted eggplant.

Dessert featured the two leaders and their fellow diners tucking into vanilla crémeux with sour cherry confit, with an accompanying ice cream "made with harvested White House honey".

The wine chosen by the first lady included Schramsberg Blanc De Noir - a nod to President Nixon's 1972 "Toast to Peace" with former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, when they used a bottle from the same vineyard.

Trump and Xi will begin the final day of their visit on Friday with tea at the White House's Red Room with their wives.

The group will then head to the US National Archives for a tour of the building and its exhibits.

Formally called the National Archives and Records Administration, the building holds some of the most important documents regarding the founding of the United States - including the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Xi and his wife will depart Washington later in the day.