Trump says he has "truly great friendship" with China's Xi

Reuters. US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday (September 24) with remarks from the grand foyer of the White House, where Trump touted his personal friendship with Xi and said the two powers had made strides on trade.

"From the time of my first election in 2016 President Xi and I have forged a friendship - a truly great friendship, actually - built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people," Trump said.

He also broadly outlined the agenda for their discussions. "During this visit, we will also discuss pressing issues concerning security, technology, and 'super intelligence,'" Trump said, using his alternative name for artificial intelligence. "The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come."

Trump greeted Xi on arrival on Wednesday evening with a red carpet on the tarmac, the first time a US president has welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews since President Barack Obama met Pope Francis in 2015, according to C-SPAN, which tracks presidential events.

The US president aims to reciprocate the grand welcome he received in China in May and impress Xi with a ceremony spanning the White House South Lawn, State Floor and Rose Garden. But major breakthroughs are not expected.