Trump and Xi end state visit with ceremony but few concrete breakthroughs

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ended Xi’s state visit with a ceremonial visit to the National Archives in Washington, where the two leaders viewed the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for the visit on Friday. Trump said the documents reflected the United States’ 250-year history, while Xi referred to China’s much older roots.

The visit concluded a trip marked by official pageantry but limited publicly announced breakthroughs. Trump said he and Xi had made “great strides” and described their meetings as positive for both countries. Trump also confirmed that Iran’s war had been discussed.

China has continued buying Iranian oil, while US media reports have said Beijing supplied Tehran with intelligence for attacks on US troops. Asked about progress on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for oil shipments, Trump said he expected the two countries to do well. Xi said the Washington meeting had added new substance to his summit with Trump in Beijing in May.

He said both sides had agreed to pursue strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity. The main announcements were a shorter-than-expected extension of a US-China trade truce and the imminent arrival of two pandas at a US zoo, according to AFP. Xi also proposed meetings with Trump at the APEC gathering in China in November and the G20 summit at Trump’s resort in Miami in December.

The visit’s focus on US democratic institutions came one week after Trump barred three major US media outlets from the White House. A US judge ordered their readmission on Thursday. The First Amendment protects press freedom, while rights groups have criticised China’s restrictions on press freedoms and expression.