US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state dinner at the White House on Thursday, capping a day of high-level talks aimed at managing relations between the world’s two largest economies.

The dinner followed bilateral discussions between Trump and Xi, during which the two leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining dialogue and managing differences in the increasingly complex US-China relationship. Xi’s visit marks his first trip to Washington in more than a decade.

In remarks during the dinner, Trump and Xi highlighted the relationship between the United States and China, while their broader discussions covered trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the US war with Iran. The summit also included discussion of the strategic implications of rapidly developing AI technologies.

The meeting represents the leaders’ latest effort to maintain engagement despite significant differences between Washington and Beijing. The two governments remain competitors in areas including advanced technology and trade, while also having economic interests that make continued communication important.

The state dinner brought together senior US officials, business leaders and some of the country's most prominent technology executives.

Among those attending were Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Apple board chairman Tim Cook, according to the White House guest list and Reuters.

The presence of technology executives underscored the growing importance of artificial intelligence and advanced semiconductors in US-China relations. Both countries are seeking technological advantages in AI, while Washington maintains restrictions on certain advanced technologies and Beijing seeks to strengthen its domestic capabilities.

Trade remains a central issue in the relationship, alongside disputes over Taiwan and technology. Iran has also emerged as a significant point of disagreement, with Washington and Beijing holding different positions on the conflict and China's economic relationship with Tehran.

Despite the warm public atmosphere surrounding Xi's visit, analysts cited by international media have cautioned that the summit is unlikely to resolve the deeper strategic differences between Washington and Beijing.

The talks are therefore being viewed primarily as an effort to maintain dialogue and prevent tensions from escalating, rather than as a comprehensive settlement of the disputes separating the two countries.

Xi's Washington visit comes as both governments seek to manage competition in trade and technology while addressing broader geopolitical issues that increasingly affect the bilateral relationship. (ILKHA)