Live: President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping Hold Tea at the White House and Visit the National Archives

Voice of America broadcast a special program on the U.S.-China summit, providing full coverage of Chinese President Xi Jinping's three-day state visit to the United States. During the visit, President Trump held high-level welcoming ceremonies and a state banquet for him at Joint Base Andrews and the White House. The two sides held talks on issues including artificial intelligence, trade, Taiwan, and the situation in the Middle East. On the final day, the two heads of state had tea in the Red Room of the White House and jointly visited the U.S. National Archives, after which the three-day state visit came to a close.

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Welcome to Voice of America's special program on the U.S.-China summit, broadcast for you on Friday, September 25, 2026, at 10:20 AM Eastern Time. I am Fan Dongning, reporting live from the U.S. capital, Washington. Today we saw President Trump and First Lady Melania scheduled to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the South Portico of the White House at 10:30 AM. Then, at 10:35 AM on Friday, President Trump and the First Lady are scheduled to hold a tea reception with President Xi and his wife in the Red Room of the White House. The heads of state of the U.S. and China, along with their wives, will subsequently travel from the White House to the U.S. National Archives, located on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., for a visit. At present, we can already see live footage showing that a red carpet has been rolled out in front of the White House, awaiting the arrival of President Xi and his wife. The two will head together to visit the U.S. National Archives to view important historical documents related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and U.S.-China relations. The arrival time of the two heads of state this morning is scheduled for around 11:30 AM. The U.S. National Archives is the permanent exhibition site for the Charters of Freedom, which include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. President Trump will also officially bid farewell to visiting President Xi Jinping at the National Archives at that time, thereby concluding the three-day state visit that began when Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on September 23. Later in today's special program, we will also have a live report from VOA reporter Huang Yaoyi at the scene of the U.S. National Archives.

Alright, let's continue to look at the live footage from the White House, and before we connect with our reporter at the National Archives, let's quickly review the three-day state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington. President Trump personally traveled to Joint Base Andrews in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening to personally welcome the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the start of his three-day state visit. After Xi Jinping's special plane arrived on Wednesday night, President Trump and First Lady Melania personally went to the foot of the aircraft to welcome Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, and held a grand welcoming ceremony at the airport, complete with advanced military aircraft on the runway. This is the first time in 11 years that a U.S. President has welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews. Let's take a look at the VOA television report: U.S. President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington on Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews for a three-day visit. Xi Jinping's special plane arrived at Joint Base Andrews, located in the suburbs of Washington, in the evening. This base is also the home of the U.S. presidential aircraft, Air Force One. This is the first time in 11 years, since President Obama welcomed Xi Jinping in 2015, that a U.S. President has personally welcomed a visiting dignitary at Joint Base Andrews. President Trump and his wife arrived at the joint base by Marine One helicopter from the White House, then traveled by motorcade, arriving in front of Xi Jinping's plane at approximately 6 o'clock. Accompanied by an honor guard, President Trump and Melania personally greeted Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at the foot of the aircraft's stairs. The welcoming ceremony began after the two sides exchanged pleasantries, starting with a 21-gun salute and the playing of both national anthems. As the U.S. national anthem was concluding, U.S. military aircraft flew over in salute. After the ceremony concluded, President Trump saw Xi Jinping and his wife off to their vehicle before he and First Lady Melania departed, returning to the White House by helicopter. Following the grand welcoming ceremony and diplomatic courtesies, the U.S. and Chinese leaders will hold a highly anticipated summit on Thursday, with topics such as trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and regional security expected to be the focus of discussions. VOA, Washington report.

Following the airport reception on Wednesday evening, the next day, Thursday, President Trump held a grand welcoming ceremony at the White House for the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Continuing with the VOA television report: On Thursday morning, a red carpet was laid out on the South Lawn of the White House. President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed the vehicle carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan to the sound of music from the U.S. military honor guard. After the two guests arrived, they posed for photos with President Trump and his wife, capturing this historic moment. The two leaders of the U.S. and China then delivered speeches in the entrance hall of the White House state floor, attended by U.S. cabinet officials and Chinese officials. President Trump stated that President Xi's visit comes as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, and he will take President Xi and his wife to visit the National Archives to learn about American history. President Xi and Peng Liyuan's visit coincides with this important moment of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Tomorrow, we will visit the National Archives to view the greatest treasures of this proud history, including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. In his speech, President Trump also emphasized the U.S. and China working together to create a better future. President Trump highlighted his personal relationship with Xi over the years and stated that both sides have already made progress in areas such as trade, hoping to continue cooperation in the future to address security and technological challenges. During this visit, we will also discuss urgent issues regarding security technology and super-intelligence. The decisions we make in these areas today can foster peace and prosperity for decades to come. If we focus on our common interests, I believe that throughout history, we can achieve much.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also mentioned the topic of artificial intelligence in his speech. Xi also announced that two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will arrive at the Atlanta Zoo, and Fu Shuang will settle in the Atlanta Zoo to meet the American people. After the speeches, the two leaders and the First Ladies went to the White House Rose Garden to attend a military review. Following the military review, President Trump and President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks, while the two First Ladies visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. This visit lasts for three days, and in addition to bilateral talks, the two heads of state will also attend a state dinner. VOA, Washington report.

Following the White House welcoming ceremony in the morning and Peng Liyuan's visit to the National Museum of Asian Art in the afternoon, President Trump and First Lady Melania also hosted a grand state dinner at the White House on Thursday evening for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. Continuing with our Voice of America television report: On Thursday morning, the South Lawn of the White House was rolled out with a red carpet. US President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed the motorcade of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to the music of the US Tri-Service Honor Guard. After arriving, the two distinguished guests posed for photos with President Trump and the First Lady, capturing this historic moment. The leaders of the US and China subsequently delivered remarks at the entrance hall of the State Floor of the White House, attended by US cabinet officials and Chinese officials. President Trump stated that President Xi's visit coincided with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and that he would take Xi and his wife to visit the National Archives to learn about American history. In his speech, President Trump also emphasized that the US and China must work hand in hand to create a better future. President Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Xi over the years and stated that the two sides have already made progress in areas such as trade, expressing hope for continued cooperation in addressing security and technological challenges moving forward. During this visit, we will also discuss urgent issues concerning security technology and superintelligence, and the decisions we make in these areas today can foster peace and prosperity for decades to come; if we focus on common interests, I believe that throughout history we can achieve many accomplishments.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also mentioned the topic of artificial intelligence in his speech, noting that both China and the United States are AI superpowers with both the capability and responsibility to properly develop and control AI, ensuring that AI development remains under human control and benefits the people. Xi also announced that two giant pandas, Pingping and Fushuang, will arrive at the Atlanta Zoo. Giant pandas are envoys of friendship between the peoples of China and the United States, and today I want to share some good news: in a few days, the giant pandas Pingping and Fushuang will settle at the Atlanta Zoo and meet the American people. Following the speeches, the two leaders and the First Lady proceeded to the White House Rose Garden to attend a military review. Following the military review, President Trump and President Xi held a bilateral meeting, while the two First Ladies visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. On Thursday evening, President Trump and First Lady Melania hosted a state dinner for President Xi and his wife, personally greeting them at the entrance. President Trump welcomed the motorcade of Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan amid ceremonial music, and the four of them posed for a photo at the North Portico of the White House before entering the banquet hall together. President Trump lauded the relationship between the US and China at the state dinner and presented Xi Jinping with a statue of a bald eagle. As the leaders of our two nations, President Xi and I are well aware that despite representing different systems, the ties between our peoples remain robust. This is the foundation of bilateral economic and trade exchanges and mutual respect, and we will continue to build a relationship that brings prosperity and security to future generations. In the spirit of this friendship, it is my great honor to present a gift to President Xi. This gift comes from an outstanding American artist, one of the finest artists today, and was personally designed by me and Melania. The bald eagle, also known as the American eagle, is the national symbol of the United States, embodying the spirit of America soaring in freedom. In his speech, President Xi thanked President Trump and First Lady Melania for their hospitality and stated that new consensus had been reached with President Trump. Thursday's visit itinerary concluded with the end of the state dinner. On Friday, President Trump invited Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan to a White House tea reception, followed by a joint tour of the National Archives. Voice of America, reporting from Washington.

Well, what you just saw were the remarks delivered by President Trump and visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the state dinner in the White House. Today in our special program studio, we have also specially invited Lin Feng, a senior editor at the Voice of America, to share with us her observations on this US-China summit and President Xi's three-day state visit. Hello, Lin Feng. Hello, Dongning. Well, I just saw from the footage that yesterday's state dinner at the White House was very grand, and both Xi Jinping and President Trump delivered remarks. We particularly observed that the guests at the main table included Elon Musk, as well as Tim Cook, the former Apple CEO, and rather specially, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang was also seated at the main table, having dinner with President Trump and Xi Jinping at the same table. We could see many US entrepreneurs and AI executives present at the scene, yet there were no Chinese business figures attending this White House state dinner, which seems somewhat different from the arrangements at the Beijing summit in May. I would like to ask Lin Feng, what is your observation of last night's White House state dinner?

My first impression, just like the photos we saw in the television reports earlier, is that at the main table, including the individuals you just mentioned, there was also Jensen Huang, Tim Cook, and Elon Musk. There was also the CEO of AMD, Lisa Su. So, these entrepreneurs represent the pinnacle of American economic power, technological strength, and corporate leadership, especially in the most cutting-edge industries. For example, Jensen Huang is in chips, particularly AI chips; AMD is also a chip manufacturer; and then there is Musk. We know that Musk is the CEO of Tesla, but on the other hand, he is also the CEO of SpaceX, and we know that SpaceX is far ahead in the aerospace technology sector. So, at the main table, we see the best and most top-tier American entrepreneurs. I think President Trump probably also hopes to use this to showcase America's economic strength, technological prowess, and comprehensive national power, to present such an impression to the Chinese leader.

Regarding the comparison you mentioned with the Chinese state banquet in May—yes, the maneuvering at the Great Hall of the People. Looking at that comparison, I remember there were quite a few Chinese entrepreneurs in attendance, whereas this time, no Chinese entrepreneurs were present. I noticed some media reports suggesting that, in fact, the Chinese side had at one point been negotiating privately with the U.S. side, hoping that Xi Jinping could bring a large-scale Chinese business delegation. However, it ultimately did not materialize. I remember the South China Morning Post reported that some entrepreneurs actually paid out of their own pockets, flew themselves to Washington, and hoped to get an invitation from the White House at the last minute, but in the end, we did not see any Chinese entrepreneurs in the footage from the scene. Perhaps one reason behind this is that some of the candidates proposed by the Chinese side happened to be on some of the U.S. sanctions lists. So, I fear that perhaps there were concerns from both sides about which entrepreneurs would attend, whether it would bring a negative impact to the bilateral atmosphere, or lead to other speculations. Therefore, the fact that Chinese entrepreneurs were not seen at the state banquet, I think, can also demonstrate from another perspective that behind the grand and lively scene, there is likely still the current reality of competition and maneuvering between the U.S. and China, especially in the commercial and high-tech sectors.

Lin Feng just mentioned that at the main table of the state banquet, there was an implication of President Trump demonstrating national power to the Chinese side and to President Xi Jinping. In fact, before this summit, President Trump specifically stated that whoever wins in artificial intelligence, whoever wins in AI, wins it all—meaning whoever gains AI gains the world. On the topic of AI, we also noticed that during the welcoming ceremony at the White House this morning, both the U.S. and Chinese leaders mentioned the issue of artificial intelligence in their respective speeches. President Trump's own terminology has now shifted to "super intelligence." How do you view this AI issue? Many outside experts predicted that this U.S.-China summit would definitely touch upon this topic, but regarding AI, do you think both sides can reach any consensus, or perhaps establish what the outside world calls "guardrails," or even an AI hotline? What is your view?

The actual situation we have observed in this regard seems to have some gaps with expectations. Of course, President Trump also has his own views, saying that we shouldn't call it 'artificial intelligence.' He says 'artificial' feels like it's fake, but AI is indeed a field he attaches great importance to. We know that there are different voices within the United States regarding whether the development of AI is moving too fast or whether it might get out of control. I think that while there is some common ground between the U.S. and China in their understanding of AI, there are also many differences. China is currently very eager to catch up. In fact, President Trump himself has said that although the U.S. and China are the two major players in the global AI field, the U.S. still maintains a significant advantage and likely retains a leading position. Therefore, in the end, there may still be gaps between the two sides on some fundamental issues. So, at the beginning of this summit, I remember President Trump posted on his Truth Social that we should not interfere too much, that the government should not over-regulate or interfere in this field. Because we know that China might not follow the high standards set by the U.S., perhaps because China is currently in a lagging position and needs to catch up. The U.S. actually has a lot of criticism of China in the AI field, especially regarding model distillation, questioning whether it involves infringing on the intellectual property rights of U.S. companies or issues of cheating. So, I think in these areas, while both sides may have a basic consensus that AI should not get out of control, there are still major disagreements on how to do it and what steps to take. Okay, besides the issue of AI, there are of course many other topics at this U.S.-China summit, which we can ask our senior editor Lin Feng about.

However, the most important and highly anticipated event today is that President Trump and Xi Jinping will visit the National Archives on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. together. VOA White House correspondent Huang Yaoyi is currently at the scene of the archives and has sent us a report. Let's take a look at the report from VOA reporter Huang Yaoyi. I am now in front of the National Archives. We can see that the entire block has been fenced off. Why? Because this morning, September 25, President Trump, along with Xi Jinping, First Lady Melania, and Peng Liyuan, will come here to visit. As you can see, the entire block is under a security lockdown. We are now walking to the media security checkpoint; we have to walk around the entire block to reach the media entrance. You can see the National Archives building behind me. Currently, you can see that the area where the media enters and exits is still blocked off. I just walked around the National Archives for nearly an hour and still couldn't get into the media area because they said the White House Secret Service is still conducting security checks. At the same time, why is the security here so strict? You can see police cars, and along the road, there are many supporters, and across the street, we see Falun Gong protesters. So, in front of the National Archives, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive shortly, which is why the security here has become extremely strict.

Okay, what you just saw was VOA White House correspondent Huang Yaoyi at the National Archives. Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Trump will arrive at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. shortly to visit some important historical documents and archives related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the history of U.S.-China relations. Back in our studio, I would like to ask our senior editor, Lin Feng: this time, we see that the reception arrangements for the summit are quite special. On the first day, President Trump personally went to the airport to welcome them, and yesterday at the White House welcome ceremony, both leaders coincidentally mentioned the long history, including the cooperation between the U.S. and China during World War II. Now, this Friday is the third day of the state visit, and it is arranged to visit the National Archives. Is this related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States this year? Which important documents or records representative of U.S.-China history do you think they might visit?

This arrangement is indeed of very special significance. Because we all know that on July 4th of this year, President Trump and the entire United States just celebrated the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States with such a grand spectacle. And the National Archives here, as we mentioned in the program just now, houses the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. These represent American values and the history of America's founding, as well as its values, and in particular, the fact that the United States is a nation that upholds freedom. I think President Trump also hopes to take this opportunity to showcase a great side of America, that is, its status as the leader of the free world. Because in this way, these values are diametrically opposed to those of China, and especially to the values upheld and promoted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). So, from this perspective, it is also a way to showcase America's history and its spirit. And for the President himself, the 250th anniversary also holds a particularly special significance.

In their speeches, both sides did indeed talk a lot about history, looking back at the past, which is actually quite interesting. Because historically, after the United States was newly established and newly independent, there were some exchanges between the two sides. In fact, historically speaking, the United States has always provided China with a lot of support and assistance. In particular, Chinese President Xi Jinping also mentioned that during World War II, or what is known in China as the War of Resistance Against Japan, there was a lot of cooperation, especially with American volunteers—many of them were volunteers—who were actually in the volunteer flying group, the Flying Tigers, who volunteered to go to China to assist China in resisting Japan at that time. Many of them sacrificed their precious lives for this, which is actually a very great historical event. I think they might also hope to find some common ground from this. And I think the main theme of this summit is still that both sides are willing to maintain this relationship. Although we know that both sides have many tensions in the strategic, economic, trade, and technological fields, and have differences, and the contradictions are very deep, both sides still hope to look back at history and find more common ground.

I remember—I'm not sure, and we will pay attention to this later—when visiting the National Archives, what exactly will be visited and what will be discussed? This includes the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China or such historical documents. If I remember correctly, I think there was a Reuters report that mentioned that Xi Jinping might talk about the August 17 Communiqué during the visit, yes, talk about the issue of arms sales to Taiwan. So we still need to wait and see whether this event will happen, and whether the two heads of state will really look at some important documents signed in the history of U.S.-China relations together. Because we know this is also related to what Beijing calls the One-China principle, that is, the three U.S.-China communiqués. Are there copies or originals of these documents in the National Archives that can be retrieved? This seems to be a focus that many media are paying attention to. Yes, but we still have to observe this aspect. Our reporters are also on the scene. After President Trump and Xi Jinping arrive at the National Archives later, we hope to introduce to everyone in this program exactly which documents the two will visit.

However, I think what Lin Feng mentioned just now, regarding the state dinner, we just saw the live footage. This is the live footage now: President Trump and First Lady Melania are welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan, who have arrived, outside the White House portico. We will immediately cut to the live scene to see if there are any speeches or audio from the two.

Alright, Lin Feng, that is very interesting. We have just reached 10:47 AM Eastern Time on this Friday. Before they are scheduled to visit the National Archives, President Trump and First Lady Melania will first welcome Xi Jinping and his wife at the White House. After the two have a brief tea session in the Red Room, they will head to the National Archives. However, I would like to share a quick observation. Lin Feng, just now when the two heads of state were posing for photos on-site, the reporters present immediately asked loud questions. They asked two questions: the first was whether there was any discussion about asking China not to continue purchasing crude oil from Iran, and the second was about AI. This means that these are indeed the important topics that the formal media is focusing on regarding this US-China summit. Let's come back to AI in a moment, because artificial intelligence seems to be the hottest topic of this US-China summit, and it is also a part that we, Lin Feng, have interviewed many experts about. We know that Voice of America reporters have also interviewed some experts in Washington D.C. who study artificial intelligence (AI). Shall we listen to what the experts have to say, and then I will ask for your thoughts?

Alright, let's have the director play a clip of what experts on US AI and artificial intelligence think about the AI discussions at this US-China summit. I think the most important thing is that we must adjust our expectations for the goals of this meeting based on how diplomacy actually works. Given the overwhelming evidence that artificial intelligence is creating serious risks, and after Anthropic employees resigned in a very public manner, many people are calling for an international treaty and some kind of grand bargain as soon as possible, hoping to see such a solution by September. But in reality, for two countries with vastly different interests and different perceptions of the risks posed by these technologies, reaching any form of agreement takes time, not to mention the need to build the technical infrastructure that can truly enforce such an agreement. But this should not stop us from making real progress.

Alright, that was the expert interviewed by Voice of America discussing the topic of artificial intelligence at this US-China summit. Additionally, because the media on-site specifically mentioned the issue of Taiwan just now, let's listen to another expert's observation on how the Taiwan issue might be touched upon during this US-China summit. Let's hear what the expert has to say. I think the most important thing is that Xi Jinping said he wants to build a constructive and more stable relationship. This is important because if something happens in the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea, or if something happens in the disputed Diaoyu Islands, also known as the Senkaku Islands, in Japan, we could basically be facing a situation of World War III. Now there is a war in Ukraine and a war in the Middle East; if conflict breaks out in Asia again, then we will be facing a global conflagration, which is very dangerous. So any effort that can delay this situation is important. In this regard, I think the most important factor in maintaining the status quo and peace in Asia is deterrence. We need to make Xi Jinping wake up every day feeling that today is not a good day to take action against Taiwan, nor is it a good day to take action against some island near the Philippines or anywhere else he might be considering in his mind.

Alright, we have finished listening to the expert's take on the Taiwan issue discussed at this US-China summit. Let's quickly return to our studio, and I would like to ask Lin Feng to give us a quick comment, because Taiwan also seems to be a key focus for everyone this time, especially regarding arms sales to Taiwan. How do you see the discussion on Taiwan during this US-China summit?

This is something that all parties are paying close attention to. Because we know that at the last summit, Xi Jinping—that is, he laid out the Chinese side's position—I believe he talked about many historical issues when he spoke at the Beijing summit. I think he is a bit like Putin, talking about history. Perhaps he hopes to persuade President Trump, saying that on the Taiwan issue, this is the most important red line for the Chinese side. We saw that yesterday, China's official Xinhua News Agency had a press release regarding this summit of heads of state, which mentioned that Xi Jinping said he hopes the US side will, in his words, oppose so-called Taiwan independence. Now, we have not yet seen the White House's readout of the talks; it seems it hasn't come out yet, and as of now, on Friday, it still hasn't been released. That is to say, there is also his consistent rhetoric, which is that he hopes the US side will be very cautious in handling the Taiwan issue. Actually, I remember an expert mentioning that this statement is the clearest one the Chinese side has made so far. Because we know the US side's official position is the US "One China" policy, and in terms of the US interpretation, the "One China" policy includes the Taiwan Relations Act, the three US-China joint communiqués, the Six Assurances, etc. This is different from the Chinese side's statement. So, regarding the US side, I think the US side probably will not change its established policy, but the White House has not yet provided us with the latest, that is, they haven't released their readout, which is their statement, so we still have to wait and see.

There are many experts, including bipartisan members of Congress and scholars, who have expressed concerns because when President Trump visited Beijing last time, he mentioned that he regarded arms sales to Taiwan—in his own words—as an important bargaining chip for negotiations. However, since arms sales to Taiwan are actually required by the U.S. administration under the Taiwan Relations Act, which is a U.S. law, many lawmakers are worried about whether this would create an impression to the outside world that could potentially impact our allies and the entire U.S. strategic framework. Of course, we have noted that the Taiwan side also had some responses today, stating that as of now, they have not seen the U.S. side's perspective or whether the issue of Taiwan was even discussed, and that it remains to be confirmed by the meeting minutes from the White House. We are still observing, that is indeed the case.

Beyond the hot topics we just discussed, such as AI and Taiwan, there are naturally other issues including the trade truce and the question about President Trump and Xi Jinping that the reporter asked on-site regarding Iran. There are many more topics to consult Lin Feng about. However, let us first look at a segment where we specifically interviewed Professor Miles Yu, Director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, during the U.S.-China summit. Let us listen to how Professor Yu analyzes this U.S.-China presidential summit. Welcome back to VOA, Professor Yu, to provide us with an in-depth analysis of the U.S.-China presidential summit. Professor Yu, the reception protocol this time seems even higher than previous U.S.-China summits. President Trump personally went to Joint Base Andrews to meet the plane, plus the White House welcome ceremony, the state dinner, and the visit to the U.S. National Archives. How do you interpret this three-day state visit?

I think this protocol and pomp are not particularly important, because when Xi Jinping visited China—wait, when Xi Jinping visited, back in May of this year, Xi Jinping also put on a big show for Mr. Trump, so this should be reciprocal in terms of diplomatic etiquette. I think this display does not necessarily prove that there has been substantive progress in U.S.-China relations; on the contrary, precisely because there is nothing substantive to be done, the display of protocol and power becomes even more important. This time, the place where Mr. Trump showed off to Xi Jinping was at Andrews Air Force Base, and there were many of America's most advanced bombers and fighter jets nearby. So, the main purpose of what he told Xi Jinping was: 'I can treat you with high protocol, but you must understand that this is in the United States, and the U.S. is far superior to you in many aspects, especially in military strength.' Therefore, we should not confuse the president's diplomatic rhetoric with what the U.S. government is actually doing. Of course, both China and the U.S. emphasize being polite to each other, but in reality, in many practical operations, the two countries are basically at odds every day and every week.

Professor Yu just mentioned that at Joint Base Andrews, the U.S. displayed the most advanced U.S. military aircraft. In fact, the welcome ceremony on the White House South Lawn also included a flyover of military aircraft, including B-2 bombers and F-22 Raptor fighter jets, which will also appear when welcoming Xi Jinping to the White House. How do you interpret such an unprecedented arrangement? I think this is, of course, unprecedented—to the CCP, they feel it is unprecedented—but I think Mr. Trump pays great attention to visual effects. Look at his recent meeting with Putin; it was exactly when the U.S. and Russia were arguing most heatedly over the Ukraine issue. He met Putin in Alaska at an airbase, and it was also filled with high-end U.S. bombers and fighter jets, conveying a message that the U.S. is not to be trifled with. I can treat you with high protocol, but the message is very clear. This time, I think both heads of state do not want to let people feel that they are weak, nor do they want to let people feel that one side needs this summit more than the other. For the U.S., whether this summit happens or not is not very important; the key is whether the commitments the CCP made in May have been fulfilled. For Xi Jinping, his key issue is wanting the U.S. to stop, to continue extending the trade truce, and not to pull the trigger on this critical issue, which would push the CCP's economy and trade into a deeper abyss. Mr. Trump feels this is fine, we can consider it, but the key issue depends on whether you have achieved concrete, substantive progress on the things you already promised since May, especially regarding the import of rare earths and the procurement of U.S. agricultural products. In fact, U.S. government officials have been saying from the beginning until now that the CCP has not fulfilled its commitments at all. So for Mr. Trump, and for the CCP, it is about high-level treatment, but from the start, it is about forcing the CCP to earnestly fulfill its so-called commitments.

Beyond the high-profile spectacle, let's discuss the agenda. The topics for this U.S.-China summit might be as rich as the menu at the White House state dinner. Back in May, we discussed the U.S.-China summit, where the three 'Ts' were the most critical issues: Tehran, Trade, and Taiwan. This time, people are saying there is a fourth 'T'—Technology, or specifically, the topic of AI. Some even speculate whether the two leaders might reach an agreement on a so-called 'AI hotline.' What is your take on whether these four 'Ts' are the most important issues for this summit? Which one is most likely to yield a consensus, and which one is more likely to cause miscalculation or disagreement?

I don't think any of these 'Ts' will reach a final resolution. In the end, it might just form a slightly extended fifth 'T': 'Truce.' Why? Because these critical issues involve the fundamental policies and strategies of both nations. As you mentioned regarding Taiwan, the CCP will absolutely not yield, and neither will the U.S. The same applies to trade and the other issues. Now, look at artificial intelligence—since May, Mr. Trump has been talking about 'Super Intelligence,' which has also become a major topic. The main point is that both the U.S. and China need to manage it. Why? Because Super Intelligence is extremely powerful; it can benefit humanity, but it also poses a significant threat of destruction. Therefore, management by both sides is crucial. In this regard, the U.S. is not begging the CCP; the U.S. is the innovator and leads in AI, while the CCP is the world's number one at stealing American AI products. So, regarding management, the U.S. and the CCP might reach some sort of 'gentleman's agreement' on paper. But everyone knows that in cyberspace, there has never been a truce for AI. Regardless of any agreement, if the CCP were to stop stealing advanced American technology, it would no longer be the CCP.

Regarding the 'Ts,' another one is Tehran, Iran. I would like to ask you: I recall that in 2017, when President Trump hosted Xi Jinping for a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, he personally informed Xi during the meal that the U.S. had launched a military strike on Syria—it was shocking news at the time. Do you think President Trump might drop another bombshell on Xi during this White House state dinner? Especially given the current tensions in the Middle East, and considering Trump just stated in his UN speech that he might completely destroy Iran. Do you think this U.S.-China summit could affect the tense situation in the Middle East, and will Trump bring up China's covert support for Iran or even Russia?

China's support for Russia is not just covert; it is blatant. Especially regarding countries like Russia, the CCP's long-term strategy has been to fully support anyone who opposes the U.S. Countries like Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea are all examples of this. This has been the CCP's traditional strategy since the 1950s. As for Iran, its dependence on the CCP is actually far greater than the CCP's dependence on Iran. In reality, the CCP has little dependence on Iran; it simply uses Iran to oppose the U.S. because Iran is anti-American. What is being implemented is what the Treasury Department leads: 'Secondary Sanctions.' This means that for countries like China that provide massive blood transfusions to Iran and Russia, the sanctions against them should be as severe as those against Iran and Russia themselves. This would be a massive blow to the CCP. So, I see this becoming an agenda item, but it is not a new issue—it is the same old story. Both Trump and Xi know that both sides are exerting pressure behind the scenes. Mr. Trump also knows that Xi is unlikely to change his ways; he won't make significant progress. Therefore, the most critical issue is for Mr. Trump to finally put into action the secondary sanctions he has vowed for years to impose on countries that support these rogue states. This time, I think he is serious.

Professor Miles Yu, you held a significant position during the first Trump administration, so you might have a better understanding of his strategy when interacting with other foreign leaders. We know he is a president skilled at making deals or agreements. What is it that he most wants to obtain at the negotiating table this time? And from Beijing's perspective, what is the goal that Xi Jinping most wants to achieve through this visit to the U.S.?

I think the goal that Mr. Trump achieved this time is mainly to reach a kind of strategic stability with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), ensuring that both sides do not accidentally trigger a conflict. This has been his consistent policy. Another point is that every time the CCP uses summits, it aims to undermine the psychological balance of America's allies. Therefore, ahead of every U.S.-China summit, America's allies—such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines—tend to feel quite anxious. This time, leveraging the opportunity of the UN General Assembly, President Trump first publicly held phone calls with the leader of South Korea and the Prime Minister of Japan, followed by high-level receptions and meetings. I believe this serves to reassure them. Another point is I think the United States wants to establish very specific mechanisms with the CCP regarding the concrete implementation of commitments. This is why, in negotiations on these crucial and substantive issues, Trump does not handle them personally; instead, he has his Treasury Secretary negotiate with the CCP's Vice Premier He Lifeng. They have talked over a dozen times with zero results. Up to now, the CCP has only made verbal commitments to the U.S. on any issue, without signing any written agreements. Nothing was signed in May either, and looking at it now, I still don't think any agreement will be signed. Because Xi Jinping simply wants to create the superficial impression that he has reached a kind of strategic stability with the U.S., but in reality, both sides are buying time while never letting down their guard against each other.

Alright, let us now immediately go to the live footage from the Red Room at the White House. On the screen, we can see Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan in the White House Red Room, being received by President Trump and First Lady Melania for tea. We will now immediately switch to the live feed to hear what the President has to say.

Thank you to all our media friends for your very fair and impartial reporting. I must say that this time, we have had a historic state visit, welcoming two extraordinary figures, and it has been a tremendous success. Moreover, China-U.S. relations have made significant progress.

Thank you very much, respected President Trump and First Lady, for extending to me and my wife the highest courtesies and such thoughtful arrangements. Our visit has been extremely successful, and we are very satisfied. I thank the President and the First Lady for... My wife and I... [Text corrupted in original] ...very interested, thank you. President Trump and I can be said to be charting the course and steering the wheel for the ship of China-U.S. relations. When the President visited China in May, we defined China-U.S. relations as a constructive strategic relationship. This time, we have expanded its connotation, defining China-U.S. relations as a constructive relationship of strategic stability based on mutual respect, fairness, and equality. Therefore, we see an even brighter prospect for China-U.S. relations.

The President and I are like two people that's charting the course for the great shape of China-U.S. relations. When the president visited China in May, we agreed on the vision of building a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. This time, we've agreed to add new substance to it, that the relationship will be a constructive one of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity.

So from this step, we can see that this relationship has become even more pronounced.

Looking ahead to the remainder of this year, there will be two more opportunities for us to meet each other. Firstly, the APEC meeting in China, and then the G20 summit in the United States. I do welcome you, Mr. President and the First Lady, to visit China.

Well, thank you very much. We will. And we'll be speaking a lot. I think our farmers are going to be very happy. A lot of very positive things happen. But America is very happy about this visit, and i'm sure china is very happy also great things for both countries and it's been just very very productive and thank you very much. The Chinese people also feel happy. It can be said that our two countries are moving in a better direction, and we can say that this is a constructive international visit. Alright, the scene you just saw was President Trump and First Lady Melania receiving the visiting Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan for tea in the historic Red Room at the White House, where both leaders made brief remarks. Returning to our studio, I would like to ask our senior editor at Voice of America, Lin Feng, how do you view the brief remarks made by the two leaders during the tea session? I also remember that back in May, the two leaders were at Zhongnanhai when President Trump visited Beijing for the US-China summit; the tea session was held at Zhongnanhai. This time, during Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States, the tea session for the summit was held in the Red Room of the White House. The choice of these two locations alone seems quite symbolic. How do you view the details of the arrangements for this tea session?

One detail I observed is that this was a very rare opportunity for Xi Jinping to speak off-the-cuff. We know that in the past, Xi Jinping always read from a script or his little notebook, but this time it seemed to me that he was speaking without notes. However, I captured two details here. One is that he mentioned, and specifically emphasized, a new term he used: "constructive strategic stability relationship." In his own words, they agreed to build this constructive strategic stability relationship back in May, but he said that during this meeting, they expanded its meaning. As for what aspects he was referring to, I didn't see it mentioned in the Xinhua News Agency press release yesterday; he spoke of things including mutual respect, equality, and perhaps reciprocity. So, there should be some concrete elements, though perhaps not that many, but basically, I think the US side, specifically President Trump, also frequently emphasizes reciprocity—that it must be reciprocal and mutually beneficial. Another point is that he mentioned there would be two more meetings this year. Xi Jinping himself mentioned, "We have two more meetings," one being the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) leaders' summit held in Shenzhen, China, and the other being the G20 summit held in Miami, USA. However, I noticed that the interpreter said, "We have two opportunities," without stating it as a certainty that they would definitely meet. He said there would be such opportunities, which is interesting. When he interpreted it, perhaps he didn't give us a 100% certainty that they would definitely meet, but if I heard correctly, Xi Jinping did say they would meet twice more.

Then President Trump also revealed a detail, saying that American farmers would be very happy and satisfied with this US meeting. So, I am speculating whether there might be new developments regarding soybeans, or if there might be new breakthroughs in the procurement of agricultural products. Because before this summit, the Chinese side had stepped up efforts to purchase soybeans, and I don't know—I'm not sure if they have already achieved the goal of such procurement, that is, if they have already realized the originally envisioned target. Of course, in other agricultural sectors, such as the procurement of other agricultural products, it seems that progress is still lagging. Will there be intensified procurement of other products after this summit, such as wheat, sorghum, or other American agricultural products? Will there be new commitments, or will there be more commitments in the future? I think this is still a rather important detail.

Of course, talking about this tea session—there was a tea session in Zhongnanhai, and there is also a tea session here—I think this was also a deliberate arrangement by the US side. Because as we know, Americans might drink more coffee, but Chinese people still, especially Xi Jinping, want to drink tea. Then yesterday, I remember seeing an image on social media at the state banquet table: Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan had their own small personal thermos flasks. It was very interesting, meaning perhaps he still wants to drink warm or hot water. There are various interpretations of this, and these two thermos flasks indeed attracted the attention of some media. This is unusual and makes for a very interesting observation.

However, this tea session also actually provided an opportunity for the heads of state of the US and China to have a more in-depth conversation. Because the timing of both the Zhongnanhai tea sessions and this tea session in the White House Red Room was scheduled after the formal small-group talks and expanded talks between the two sides, as well as after the state banquet. Moreover, just as you mentioned earlier, President Trump specifically hinted that American farmers would be satisfied with some of the agreements reached at this US-China summit. It also feels comparable to the Zhongnanhai tea session in May, when both sides released messages on that occasion stating that we had reached agreements that everyone felt were successful and satisfactory. This was Xi Jinping's personal wording: calling this summit successful and satisfactory, which reveals the message to everyone that the two sides might have reached some concrete agreements. Whether a concrete agreement has been reached still requires subsequent observation and confirmation. However, taking the opportunity of this tea session, both sides also expressed their satisfaction with this summit. It is indeed a fairly good opportunity provided by the arrangement of a tea session following this summit.

Next, we would like to continue with our interview from just now with Miles Yu, former director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute. In the latter part of the conversation, we also touched upon issues related to Taiwan, the Iran issue, and trade issues. Let us continue to look at Professor Miles Yu's analysis of this US-China summit. Having served in an important position during Trump's first term, he might have a better understanding of Trump's strategies when interacting with other foreign heads of state. We know he is a president skilled at reaching deals or agreements; what is it that he most wants to get at the negotiating table this time? And from Beijing's perspective, what are the goals that Xi Jinping most wants to achieve through this state visit to the US?

I think this time, the goal Mr. Trump has achieved is mainly to reach a kind of strategic stability with the CCP, ensuring the two sides do not have an accidental clash or misfire—this is his consistent policy. Another point is that every time the CCP utilizes such a summit, it shatters the psychological balance of US allies. Therefore, every time there is a US-China summit meeting, US allies such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and countries like the Philippines all become rather anxious. So this time, President Trump took advantage of the UN General Assembly to first publicly hold phone calls with the leader of South Korea and the Prime Minister of Japan, followed by high-level receptions and meetings. Therefore, in this way, I think this acts as a reassurance pill. Another point is that I think the US wants to establish very specific mechanisms with the CCP regarding the implementation of commitments. This is why in negotiations on these relatively critical, substantive issues, Trump does not handle it himself; he lets his Treasury Secretary and CCP official He Lifeng, Vice Premier He Lifeng, negotiate. They have talked about a dozen times with zero results. Up to now, the CCP has only made verbal commitments with the US on any issue, without any signed text. Nothing was signed in May either, and looking at it now, there still won't be any signing, because Xi Jinping simply wants to project a surface appearance that he and the US have seemingly reached some kind of strategic stability. But in reality, both sides are buying time, and their guard against each other has never been dropped.

So if you look inside the US government, Mr. Trump shares a personal relationship with the leaders of other major countries, calling them his good friends, but in reality, his cabinet members and various cabinet departments basically launch crackdowns on the CCP in various aspects every single week. Huawei was sued in court, followed by technology controls, with actions taken every single day and week by the Department of Justice, the State Department, the Treasury Department, and the Department of Commerce. So I think US-China relations on the surface look relatively harmonious, with these scenes, with state banquets, but in reality, this is just like back in the late 1950s at the height of the US-Soviet Cold War, when President Eisenhower invited Khrushchev to visit the United States and gave him a high-level reception. In this way, I think the two major countries need this kind of psychological stability, but in reality, the institutional and actual confrontation between the two countries has never stopped. That is to say, on the table they still shake hands and share drinks at the state banquet, but behind the scenes, they are still competing fiercely.

You mentioned strategic stability just now, which is an important keyword in the current US-China summit. Although both sides may have different definitions of strategic stability, do you think the US and China can truly achieve it? Can both sides really establish a so-called mechanism to manage potential crises? What is your view? I think this mainly depends on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP's view of the United States is entirely based on Marxism-Leninism. It believes that the American political system, which insists on democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, poses a huge threat to its regime. Why? Because the appeal of the American system to the Chinese people is very powerful. Therefore, it wants to pull down and eliminate the leadership status of the United States globally—morally, militarily, economically, and politically. So, in this sense, I think the CCP has always defined its relationship with the United States as a hostile one. If this concept, this ideology, and this policy-guiding principle are not discarded, then I think it is very difficult for the United States and China to achieve a kind of strategic stability truly based on mutual trust.

Professor Yu, you also mentioned the unease felt by US allies during the US-China presidential summit. How exactly will President Trump reassure or guarantee to his allies that the relationship between the United States and Japan or Taiwan will not be affected by his meeting with Xi Jinping? While reaching agreements or deals, how can he maintain the strategic leverage and advantages of the United States and its allies? What is your view?

I am quite familiar with this, because since his first term, Mr. Trump has dealt with the CCP by trying his best to avoid getting issues that have no direct relation to the US-China relationship entangled. So, to a large extent, when Xi Jinping brings up Taiwan right away, Trump has always said that Taiwan is Taiwan and China is the CCP; if you insist on talking to me about it, I will listen, but I will not make any commitments. So, I don't think Taiwan will become a major issue this time. On other issues, such as the situation with Japan, it is the same. The CCP now portrays Japan as a country where militarism is being restored, which is a monstrous lie. For a leader of a major power to still spout this kind of 1950s-style ideological rhetoric in the 21st century, I don't think anyone believes him. Therefore, Mr. Trump attaches great importance to US-Japan relations, and his defense commitments and technological commitments to Japan are very, very close. So, I think if the CCP does not abandon its very outdated Marxist-Leninist worldview and strategic outlook, I think it will be very, very difficult. As for Mr. Trump, you see, he is handling so many aspects of the US-China relationship this time that there are already too many to cover, so he tries to avoid other issues as much as possible. Therefore, I think the US-China relationship is very difficult, but this is a very critical move, and it is not the United States that should make it, but the CCP.

However, what is your take on the view held by many in the Washington policy circle that arms sales to Taiwan for its defense—the $14 billion in arms sales—seem to be delayed until after this summit, or even after APEC or the G20, and might even have to wait until next year? How do you view such predictions from many experts?

I don't think this necessarily indicates any major change in the United States' policy toward Taiwan. As everyone knows, the United States is the world's largest weapons exporter, and the largest buyer of weapons in the world is Taiwan. This is a very obvious fact. If you don't understand this fundamental point, it is hard to comprehend the solidity of this U.S.-Taiwan relationship. So last December, the United States sold 11 billion dollars worth of these very crucial, targeted weapons to Taiwan. That was a very large transaction, and another 14 billion dollars is still pending. This requires some concrete measures. First of all, the United States now also needs a strategic balance; it needs a balance in weapons supply. Secondly, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are primarily based on the degree of the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to Taiwan. Therefore, since the 1970s, whether the United States sells weapons to Taiwan has depended entirely on the degree of the threat from the CCP to Taiwan. So the United States has its own policy considerations. Now you mentioned, is there an increase in the CCP's threat to Taiwan? Of course there is an increase, but at the same time, Taiwan is also purchasing a lot of weapons from the United States. Therefore, Taiwan needs internal adjustments because although Taiwan's defense system and the U.S. defense system have a lot of close integration, this level of integration is still far from sufficient. Thus, this requires taking things slowly; if too many things are shipped over and cannot be absorbed, they will instead become a burden. Of course, this does not mean the United States lacks further determination regarding arms sales to Taiwan. In fact, the 14 billion dollars has already been approved, and to a large extent, it is meant to give Xi Jinping a bit of face while putting some pressure on him: if you continue to increase pressure on Taiwan, we will immediately sell the weapons over. This is also a form of leverage against the CCP. I think this does not necessarily mean any change in U.S. politics; it is mainly a tactical consideration. This is also practical pressure on the CCP, and practically speaking for Taiwan, the more actual pressure there is on the CCP, the more effective Taiwan's security guarantees will be.

Professor Yu, I still remember last time, before the May U.S.-China summit, you specifically talked to us at Voice of America, saying that the U.S. side should take advantage of every opportunity of meetings between high-level officials and heads of state of the U.S. and China to directly convey the voice of the United States to the Chinese people. So I want to talk about the human rights issue, because after the May summit, we actually saw that this year, David Lin was released. Do you think that during this September summit, the two will still talk about human rights issues, releasing political prisoners, or American citizens improperly detained by China, and so on? What message do you think President Trump can convey to the Chinese people through this summit, Professor Yu?

This means that Xi Jinping's initial visit to the United States this time has caused a lot of anger. Almost all levels and groups across the United States have expressed to the White House a desire to convey a voice of protest and dissatisfaction against Xi Jinping. There are those in Congress, and even more so in grassroots organizations, so tens of thousands of people have expressed such a determination and desire to protest against Xi Jinping. President Trump has already indicated through his spokesperson that he will present these demands to Xi Jinping, and these things are a huge pressure, which of course is inevitable. As you mentioned just now about how to directly convey messages to the Chinese people, if you look at some of the information from the U.S. Embassy in China, it is very clear. All major decisions of the U.S. President, whether related to China or not, but connected to China in some way, are communicated through the U.S. Embassy in China, which anyone can see on Laquian.

Another point is that conveying this message to the Chinese people, conveying American values, does not necessarily require a clear policy statement. The U.S. government has many actions; it can exert a huge influence on the Chinese mainland through the behavior of its own government. For example, during the war in Iran, ordinary Chinese people were of course very concerned about this matter, but what shocked the ordinary Chinese people the most was that the U.S. military mobilized thousands of people and spent hundreds of millions of dollars in resources to rescue two injured U.S. military pilots. This was discussed immensely among ordinary Chinese people. It demonstrates a country's values, showing that a country respects its soldiers and ensures its people are not mistreated. This is extremely shocking. These very subtle influences, I think, convey a message to China that is rather indirect. In addition, of course, there are many gradual soft-power tools, including Voice of America, which you all do very well. I think many of China's listeners and viewers also use your channels to understand the policy trends of the United States and the policy statements of its leaders. All these things have a subtle influence. To change China's understanding of the United States, I think requires a lot of effort from both the United States and the Chinese people.

Professor Yu, you also had a conversation this week at Harvard University with the renowned historian Rana Mitter regarding the historical evolution of U.S.-China relations. From the initial engagement to the current containment, a qualitative change actually began during President Trump's first term. Having held an important position in the first term, how do you compare the strategy and tactics of President Trump's second term so far, given that there have already been two U.S.-China summits? Do you think there are significant changes? Professor Yu, I find the Harvard trip you just mentioned very interesting. I have exchanged views with many friends, and many agree with my perspective, but I think even more people will eventually agree with my view; it was a very good exchange. Regarding the question of the differences between the first and second terms, I believe that U.S. policy toward China, from the first Trump administration through the Biden administration to the present, has had considerable continuity; it is not that there have been many changes. The first administration was, of course, very important. During Trump's first term, we changed the entire U.S. strategic positioning toward China, defining the CCP as the number one threat to the United States. This was a major change. U.S. policy, public sentiment, economy, politics, and military all made significant changes of world-historical significance from this redefined perspective, which is very important. Since then, the Biden administration has not changed these basic judgments at all, so they have followed our path. Secondly, the basic positioning has not changed at all; the CCP remains the number one threat to the United States, and this threat is deepening day by day. This is not only something the U.S. government needs to convey to the American people, but the American people see it very clearly, and Congress even more so; there has been no change whatsoever. U.S. policy toward China has become more mature and more targeted. Although the rhetoric of direct confrontation with the CCP has clearly decreased—President Trump told Xi Jinping that we are good friends and that we want to reach a kind of strategic stability—in reality, everything the second Trump administration is doing is related to the CCP because the CCP is indeed the number one threat to the United States. For example, strengthening homeland security and security in the Western Hemisphere is aimed at China, kicking the CCP's influence out of places like the Panama Canal and Puerto Rico. Secondly, another policy priority in President Trump's second term is to strengthen deterrence, which is clearly aimed at China. Thirdly, it is to strengthen so-called burden sharing, meaning that U.S. allies, especially European allies, must increase their own defense spending to reduce the burden on the U.S., allowing us more energy and financial resources to deal with the CCP. Finally, it is to reorganize the U.S. economy and rebuild the U.S. industrial base. Every one of these priority projects in Trump's second term is related to China. So, it is not that he is directly confronting the CCP, but in many aspects, including technical controls—the U.S. is an innovative country, it has many leading technologies in the world, and it must prevent the CCP from using U.S.-invented technologies to deal with the U.S.—this is also a policy consideration for the U.S. So, I think in all aspects, the second U.S. administration has continued the China policy of the first administration, without any change.

Alright, finally, I would like to ask Professor Yu Maochun, after every summit, it actually takes a period of time for the results to settle before they can be truly confirmed. If there were a few indicators to confirm that this U.S.-China summit was a success, where do you think the key lies? In the last minute or two, the key issue is that the U.S. must constantly monitor how much of its own commitments the CCP has fulfilled. For example, since May, the CCP said it would continue to sell rare earths to the U.S., but the CCP has not done so at all. So I think in many aspects of U.S.-China relations, there is a lot of work to be done regarding commitments. This is why Secretary of State Pompeo, when he was Secretary of State, said something very important: he said that regarding the CCP, we must start from distrust, and then we verify. This goes even further than the "trust and verify" that Reagan proposed to Gorbachev of the Soviet Union back then. I think this is a more correct approach.

Alright, I am very grateful to Professor Yu Maochun for accepting this interview with Voice of America and for once again providing an in-depth analysis of the U.S.-China summit. Thank you very much.

Alright, we are now looking at the entrance of the U.S. National Archives, located on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. A red carpet has been rolled out, and the flags of both the U.S. and China have been displayed to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Trump, who will be visiting together. The scheduled time is now 11:33 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday; they were expected to arrive at 11:30 a.m., but we are still waiting for the arrival of the motorcades of the two heads of state. As you can see from the live footage, many media outlets are already on-site. Later, President Trump and First Lady Melania will accompany Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to view important historical archives and documents related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the history of U.S.-China relations. We are now connecting immediately with VOA White House correspondent Huang Yaoyi, who is already at the National Archives to report on the latest situation. Yaoyi, Zhonglin, hello. Yes, as you can see behind me, the red carpet has been laid out at the National Archives, and the flags of the U.S. and China are displayed. In fact, at the very bottom of these flags, the words "2026 China State Visit" have been specially added. Both flags have this inscription, indicating the importance attached to President Xi's visit to the U.S. this time, with banners reading "China State Visit 2026" specifically hung at the U.S. National Archives. As mentioned earlier, President Trump and President Xi are currently having tea at the Red Room in the White House, and they will come to the National Archives after tea. President Trump will introduce him to some important historical artifacts related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. I have visited this archive before; inside the main hall, there is the original version of the U.S. Declaration of Independence written on parchment, as well as the original U.S. Constitution and many other precious founding documents, which are what President Trump will show to President Xi today. In addition, many important diplomatic cables and diplomatic documents between the U.S. and China, as well as declassified documents from the State Department, are also on display here and will be presented during today's event. Of course, documents regarding the famous "ping-pong diplomacy" and "panda diplomacy" between the U.S. and China are also included. Speaking of panda diplomacy, we know that yesterday, during the state dinner at the White House, President Xi promised on the spot to send two more giant pandas to the United States. So, we can see that from back then until now, this panda diplomacy is still ongoing. In a moment, we will see the motorcades of President Trump and President Xi arrive from the White House to the front of the National Archives, and then they will walk up the red carpet to begin their tour. Alright, we thank VOA White House correspondent Huang Yaoyi for the live report from the U.S. National Archives. Thank you, Yaoyi. Our reporter Huang Yaoyi actually went into the U.S. National Archives earlier to take a look for us. Although President Trump and President Xi have not yet arrived, we can take a look at what important historical documents are inside the National Archives through the footage Huang Yaoyi filmed earlier, which President Trump and President Xi might visit together later. Let's first watch this VOA television report.

The reporter is now in front of the U.S. National Archives. According to White House officials, following the highly anticipated Trump-Xi meeting at the White House on Thursday, President Trump will accompany President Xi to the National Archives on Friday to view important historical artifacts related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Artifacts related to U.S. founding history in the National Archives include the original Declaration of Independence written on parchment, the U.S. Constitution, the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolutionary War, and George Washington's first inaugural address in 1789, among others. A statement from the Office of the First Lady said that they will also view artifacts related to U.S.-China relations that day. In addition to historical materials on ping-pong diplomacy and panda diplomacy, the archives also house State Department files, including high-level intelligence memoranda and diplomatic negotiation transcripts regarding U.S. policy decisions toward the People's Republic of China and Taiwan. As for historical materials related to the two important U.S. presidents in U.S.-China relations, Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon, including Deng Xiaoping's visit and Nixon's visit to China, they are also part of the National Archives, but are stored in their respective presidential libraries. Although many important White House-level historical artifacts are kept in their associated presidential libraries, the National Archives does house a bird-and-flower painting gifted by China when the Nixons visited Beijing. It is also curious what gifts the two sides will exchange during this Trump-Xi meeting. VOA reporter Huang Yaoyi reporting from Washington.

Okay, after watching the report by Voice of America reporter Huang Yaoyi, let's switch the scene back to the entrance of the U.S. National Archives. Currently, right here at the entrance of the National Archives, just as Yaoyi observed for us on-site earlier, we can already see the red carpet rolled out, the flags of the United States and China, and the media eagerly craning their necks, waiting at any moment for the motorcade of President Trump and the vehicle of Chairman Xi Jinping to arrive. The two of them will tour important historical documents inside the National Archives together. Let's wait together with the media on-site for the arrival of the U.S. and Chinese heads of state. Okay, the footage you are seeing right now is from earlier, showing President Trump and First Lady Melania, along with Chairman Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, heading to the U.S. National Archives for a tour. The two heads of state arrived at around 11:50 AM. After touring the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution inside, they stepped out of the National Archives at around 12:05 PM. The two heads of state reluctantly said their goodbyes on the steps in front of the Archives, and from that point on, Chinese President Xi Jinping's three-day visit to Washington came to an end. Now, let's quickly return to our Voice of America studio on-site and ask our senior editor, Lin Feng, how do you observe today's itinerary as a whole? From the tea reception in the Red Room at the White House at around 10:30 AM to arriving at the Archives for the tour at around 11:50 AM, it was actually just a short 15 minutes, but they managed to view all three key documents. What is your overall observation?

I feel that this itinerary serves as a very good conclusion. I don't know if I should call it perfect, but from the visual perspective, it was certainly quite eye-catching. However, I think the President was very proud at the end, because we also heard President Trump himself say, 'I'm very proud about 250 years,' meaning he is very proud of our 250-year history, and I also heard Xi Jinping talking about China having thousands of years of history. Actually, I think the President was likely talking about the Constitution, the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. I don't know if it is accurate to say this, but it seems he was popularizing some knowledge of democratic constitutionalism to the Chinese leader, explaining the history of American rights, freedom, and the public's yearning for this freedom. I believe this should have left a deep impression on Xi Jinping, or at least I hope so. Previously, some media outlets said they would visit and discuss the historical documents regarding the establishment of U.S.-China diplomatic relations, but it seems this part did not happen, or at least we did not see it, because the entire visit was very short, just 15 minutes. As you mentioned, the main focus of the visit was on these historical documents that represent the founding spirit of the United States. And as you said, I kept seeing the President constantly talking to Xi Jinping about the significance of these documents on screen, and the narrator nearby was also explaining them. So, as you said, on the last day of this three-day state visit, he was further deepening the understanding of the spirit of American democratic constitutionalism, letting Xi Jinping know about it. Yes, so the visit should be considered over, and Xi Jinping should be heading directly to Joint Base Andrews to board his special plane and return to China. We also saw that some reporters at the scene shouted some questions, and we got another detail: a reporter asked if the Iran issue was discussed. President Trump said they did discuss it, but he did not provide more details. So I believe that perhaps the topics expected by the outside world beforehand were likely all touched upon. Of course, the focus of this summit seems to be that Iran might just be one of the issues. We don't know about other areas, such as whether human rights were discussed, for example, whether the release of individuals whom the U.S. government calls illegally detained—two American citizens, Kai Li and David Lin—was mentioned. We are still waiting for the White House to provide more information later. We also don't know yet if the issue of releasing Jimmy Lai was discussed this time. Last time, President Trump brought it up, but it seems Xi Jinping himself gave a negative answer. We don't know what will happen next, and we are waiting to see the final statement from the White House. Usually, there is a convention that after the heads of state leave, the White House will publish the minutes of the entire meeting on its website. At that time, we will know whether, in addition to the newly confirmed Iran issue and the possible agricultural products, this U.S.-China summit also touched upon trade or the Taiwan issue. However, Lin Feng, looking at this as a whole, this three-day state visit by Xi Jinping, including the first day when the President personally went to Joint Base Andrews to greet him, the second day's welcome ceremony and state dinner, and the last day, as you said, which served as a very good conclusion by introducing the spirit of American democratic constitutionalism at the National Archives to Xi Jinping—this was actually a very complete three-day state visit. It also corresponds to the U.S.-China summit in May, where they visited the Temple of Heaven and had a tea chat at Zhongnanhai, and here there was also a tea chat in the Red Room. In fact, the heads of state of the United States and China have met twice within half a year, which is very important for U.S.-China relations and can be considered a historical milestone.

Alright, our special program on the U.S.-China summit ends here. Thank you very much, Lin Feng, for coming to our studio today to participate in our program. Next, President Xi Jinping will arrive at Joint Base Andrews and conclude his three-day state visit to return to China. That is all for today's special program on the U.S.-China summit. Thank you for watching. I am Fan Dongning, and we will see you next time.