Live: President Trump Hosts State Dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House - September 25, 2026

The program provides live coverage of President Trump hosting a welcome ceremony and state dinner for Xi Jinping at the White House, introducing the red carpet, military review, guests, menu, speeches, and exchange of gifts. It invites experts to analyze the differences between the U.S. and China on issues such as trade, Taiwan, Iran, artificial intelligence, and strategic stability. The program also reports on the extension of the trade truce, the controversy over arms sales to Taiwan, protests in Washington, and the differing reactions from the U.S. Congress regarding the China visit and AI competition.

Video Link:

Full Text:

President Trump is scheduled to host a state dinner at the White House at 7:00 PM tonight for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, with both leaders expected to deliver remarks around 8:00 PM. Tonight, Voice of America will take you through the entire state dinner hosted by President Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House, inventory the important political and business figures from both the U.S. and China in attendance, and interpret the political implications and signals behind the details of the state dinner, including the guests, menu, toasts, and musical performances. We have invited three experts to provide in-depth analysis on-site regarding this globally anticipated U.S.-China summit. First, let us look at a VOA television report covering the welcome ceremony held by President Trump for Xi Jinping at the White House this morning and some of the key topics of this U.S.-China summit. Let's watch the report.

On Thursday morning, a red carpet was laid out on the South Lawn of the White House. U.S. President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed the car carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, amidst the music of a U.S. military honor guard. After the guests arrived, they took photos with President Trump and the First Lady, capturing this historic moment. The two leaders then delivered speeches at 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 coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, 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 comes at 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 U.S.-China cooperation to create a better future. It was the encounter between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Chinese people that inspired them to adopt a Chinese term still in use today. The U.S. Marine Corps uses it to express great enthusiasm, but in Chinese, its literal meaning is to work together. President Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Xi over the years and stated that both sides have 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 promote peace and prosperity for decades to come. If we focus on common interests, I believe that throughout history, we can achieve much.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also mentioned the issue of artificial intelligence in his speech. Both China and the U.S. are major powers in artificial intelligence, with the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI well, ensuring that AI development remains under human control and benefits the people. Xi also announced that two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will arrive at the Atlanta Zoo. Giant pandas are messengers of friendship between the people of China and the U.S. Today, I want to share some good news: in a few days, the giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will settle in at the Atlanta Zoo to meet the American people.

Following their speeches, the two leaders and the first ladies proceeded to the White House Rose Garden for a military review. Following the military review, President Trump and President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks, while the two first ladies toured the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. This three-day visit includes bilateral talks as well as a state dinner that both heads of state will attend, reporting from Voice of America in Washington.

Now, here on the live broadcast of today's Voice of America US-China Summit special program, we have also invited two guests to deeply analyze this US-China summit. One is Mr. Robert Daly, Director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the University of Maryland. Welcome, Robert Daly, thank you. The other is Mr. Xu Yuran, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute. Mr. Xu, welcome. Hello Chairman, hello everyone in the audience.

Before we consult our two guests in the studio, regarding the protocol and reception extended by President Trump to Xi Jinping this time, I also spoke earlier with Professor Miles Yu, Director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute. Let's first listen to what he had to say.

Up to now, the CCP has only made verbal commitments to the United States on any issue, without signing any written agreements. Nothing was signed in May, and looking at it now, I don't think there will be anything signed either. Because Xi Jinping simply wants to create a superficial impression that he has reached some sort of strategic stability with the United States, but in reality, both sides are buying time, and neither has ever given up their suspicion of the other.

Now, look within the US government: President Trump talks about his personal relationships with great powers and other world leaders, calling them his good friends, but in reality, his cabinet members and various cabinet departments crack down on the CCP on all fronts virtually every week. Huawei was taken to court, followed by controls on its technology. The Department of Justice, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Commerce take practical action in these areas every day and every week.

So I think US-China relations look relatively compatible on the surface, with all these ceremonies and state dinners. In reality, this is just like at the height of the US-Soviet Cold War in the late 1950s, when President Eisenhower invited Khrushchev to take a tour of the United States, complete with high-level receptions. In that sense, I think the two great powers need this kind of psychological stability, but in reality, the institutional and power-based confrontation between the two countries has never stopped.

Alright, having listened to what Professor Miles Yu had to say, and before asking our guests, let's quickly take a look at today's footage from the White House state dinner scene. The White House has already rolled out the red carpet, and many guests are about to arrive to attend the state dinner hosted by President Trump in the East Room of the White House for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Now, although the White House has not yet released a specific guest list, according to some media reports and predictions, attendees expected at this banquet include Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and former Apple CEO Tim Cook. Of course, many AI giants, including the founders of Anthropic and OpenAI, may also be present on the scene, because AI is a major topic this time.

So, looking at the live footage and Professor Yu's analysis, let me first ask Mr. Robert Daly sitting next to me. Professor Miles Yu believes that when we observe this US-China summit, we shouldn't look at how lavish tonight's state dinner menu is, how long the red carpet is laid out, whether they actually went to the airport to welcome them, or how high the protocol is, but rather whether the Chinese side fulfills the commitments on agreements it made in May throughout the entire summit. I wonder what your view is?

I agree completely with everything Miles Yu said; I think all of these points are correct. Look, there is a red carpet and a lot of playing by the Navy band, but in fact, the major problems in US-China relations are not only unresolved, but they won't even discuss them this time. Of course, you always say talking is better than fighting—that's an old saying. So giving Xi Jinping this face and meeting them—I'm not saying it's a bad thing—but please don't assume they are conducting deep and effective negotiations. They are not. They are just going through the motions. Their meeting today lasted only 30 minutes; it was nothing more than exchanging pleasantries and reciting lines.

So this time is largely symbolic, and as for substantive outcomes, I suppose I can't call them zero because before Xi Jinping's arrival, representatives from both the Chinese and US sides had already reached some agreements, but their significance is not particularly great.

So Mr. Xu, how do you see it? Many people believe that this time President Trump, including yesterday on Wednesday, personally went to Joint Base Andrews to welcome Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan, which was essentially giving Xi Jinping plenty of face. But in fact, President Trump is more eager to exert himself on substantive issues and strive for the best negotiating results with the Chinese side. How do you view this?

Actually, I also agree with Robert's point that the two sides are basically just putting on a show. In fact, ever since the first meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in May, Xi Jinping already knew how he could target Trump's pain points and make him yield on certain issues. During the Beijing summit, he had already tested out this approach. He set up a scene to make Trump happy and give him a lot of face, thereby fostering the impression of a G2—meaning there are two superpowers in the world, China and the United States. Then, when Trump left Beijing, Xi was able to get him to say things that Xi wanted him to say, such as delaying arms sales regarding the Taiwan issue.

This time, the setting is different, but the trick is the same. It is still under the exact same script, except the home stage has shifted to Washington. What is different in Washington? Actually, it is even more of a declaration by Xi Jinping to the world that Chinese leaders coming to the United States are now treated on an equal footing with American leaders.

This message is extremely important because it breaks the past narrative of the East rising and the West declining, or Western decay and Eastern rise, and instead asserts that China and the United States can jointly govern the world. Furthermore, no matter what happens in the world—such as the Taiwan Strait issue or the Iran issue—as long as China and the US talk it out, as long as the leaders of Beijing and Washington talk it out, these matters can be resolved. Therefore, he is deliberately creating this kind of atmosphere.

For Chinese politics, this is a grand spectacle, and what he wants is to execute this spectacle to perfection. Moreover, this is performed for his domestic audience, especially viewers inside China, to show that today we can go to the American empire, to Washington, and we can directly face the US president and say what we demand of him.

So how does Mr. Robert view this? Just now, Mr. Xu Yuran suggested that if this is a show, it is not only played for the whole world to see, but also for the domestic audience, serving the need to command such a grand welcome back home.

This is definitely a signal that Xi Jinping wants to send, and his most crucial audience is domestic. And I want to tell any Chinese friends watching our program: all these videos you see—Americans do not see it that way. You look at this red carpet and you might think that Xi Jinping coming to the US also carries very high informational value within the United States, with many people waiting to watch. Almost no one is watching, for two reasons.

First, Americans are not that interested in what leaders of any country say when they come to the US. Second, because CNN and two other media outlets are currently not allowed into the white house, all the other mainstream American media are quite united. They said that if they cannot have access, they won't come either. Therefore, these national TV networks in the US do not broadcast the footage of the White House or Andrews Air Force Base, and Americans no longer watch these things.

So this is almost entirely meant for the Chinese side. For Xi Jinping, the most important audience is likely still inside China. Not only are they the most important, but Americans simply do not watch because they cannot. The largest US television networks do not broadcast these videos. However, our platform, Voice of America, will still broadcast the whole thing live, because we believe that for US-China relations, this is a very important event, and even for the whole world, it is a significant topic.

Tonight at the state banquet, we will have plenty of live footage from the scene. In addition to interpreting the details of tonight's banquet arrangements—including the very important arriving guests, which we briefly introduced earlier—I know that Mr. Xu Yuran, you specifically research technology, formerly served as a tech legislator, and now also focus on AI issues.

This morning during the welcome ceremony, both heads of state mentioned AI in their speeches. Of course, the term President Trump currently uses is "Super Intelligence." How do you view the role this topic plays in this US-China summit?

I think President Trump has a particular habit of liking to rename things. Ever since he took office, he has renamed quite a few things, including Ontario Lake and the Gulf of Mexico, all of which were changed. Now he wants to change this to "Super Intelligence." I feel that his understanding of science and technology may still not be all that deep.

And I truly believe that aside from the Taiwan issue acting as an undercurrent, the most important topic the US and China are going to talk about this time is this AI issue. Regarding AI, I think since the Biden administration, when they met at APEC in San Francisco, the two sides finally managed to reach a consensus: specifically regarding nuclear weapons, there must be a hotline between the two sides, and AI cannot be completely allowed to control the launch of nuclear weapons. These, I think, are the first red lines the two sides will establish.

The second point is that many of these cutting-edge American laboratories, such as Anthropic, OpenAI, and chip companies like NVIDIA, have many different views on China's current approach to AI development and its market. So, this time, Trump brought Xi Jinping over and gathered all these AI leaders, actually to show that while we have many disagreements in various aspects, is it possible for us to reach some consensus on this so-called AI issue?

But I don't think there will be a big deal; there will definitely not be any major exchange on AI. I think at most, they might establish a so-called Working Group on both sides, and there might be a consensus on this part. But in fact, these are all quite superficial, especially quite formalistic.

Alright, let's see if the director can help us cut to the scene of the state dinner. Okay, we are now looking at the scene of the White House state dinner. It is still the red carpet, but it was scheduled for 6:45 PM when President Trump and First Lady Melania would arrive at the scene to welcome President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan.

Actually, the arrangements for tonight involve many details, including the guests attending, the menu for the state dinner, and the singing performances that might be arranged later. These are all a series of segments arranged by First Lady Melania for the state dinner. Now we see, have more VIPs arrived? We can take a look at the live footage. It might be hard to tell from the camera angle who it is, but a large number of executives from American companies are expected today.

Mr. DeBo, do you remember? It looks like Michael Dell. From the back, it looks like Michael Dell. So tonight there will be many important figures from political circles, including officials, and the business world. In fact, remember the summit in May? At that time, Mr. Miles Yu and Mr. DeBo both remembered that the U.S. side brought a large business delegation to Beijing to attend the state dinner hosted by Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

So, the reception protocol this time is actually reciprocal, and it is also the high-level treatment that Xi Jinping hopes to receive in the United States. Looking at the live footage, we previously speculated that Xi Jinping would also bring some CEOs of Chinese multinational corporations, but it was said earlier that he didn't. It seems none of them did; we didn't see them when he got off the plane.

In the live footage, we see the honor guard of the three armed services performing at the state dinner venue. Let's temporarily mute the live audio so our audience can hear us.

According to many American reports, they say that among all the ceremonies today, there are far more Chinese media personnel than American ones, which confirms what we just said: the Chinese side really hopes to see such a grand welcoming scene. Even the footage of the arrival at Joint Base Andrews yesterday was widely circulated on Chinese social media platforms, suggesting that the U.S. President personally went to the airport to greet him. However, if we look back at history, there have been records of U.S. Presidents personally going to the airport to greet foreign heads of state in the past; this is not groundbreaking, nor is it unprecedented. During the Cold War, President Eisenhower went to the airport to greet Khrushchev. Just now, 65 years ago, when the British Prime Minister came, Kennedy also went to greet him personally. And President Obama also greeted Pope Francis at the airport.

This is indeed a major mobilization on the Chinese side. Right at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where Xi Jinping is staying, which is the old Trump Hotel, there are about 10 buses opposite, all filled with Chinese compatriots waving the five-star red flag. They might have come from all over the United States, and it is very likely that they were arranged by the Chinese embassy and consulates. That is indeed the case, because these buses have numbers; they didn't pay out of their own pockets, that's for sure.

Is the VOA reporter also on the scene? Yes, right at this Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Outside the hotel where Xi Jinping is staying, there are not only people welcoming him but also protesters, including Falun Gong practitioners and Tibetans. There are many Tibetans demonstrating at the U.S. Capitol today.

Regarding the airport greeting mentioned earlier, in fact, I interviewed Professor Miles Yu from the Hudson Institute earlier. He specifically cited historical examples, saying that although the U.S. President gave Khrushchev plenty of face at the time, in reality, the two sides were competing, and it did not stop because of that.

We are listening to the sound of the protests; the protest is very loud. Originally, every time a Chinese national leader comes, they request the U.S. side to protect them well and exclude them, because they do not want the Chinese leader to come into contact with these protesters or hear these voices. But we can all hear it very clearly, and from this perspective, it seems there are more Chinese reporters.

This morning, our reporter at the White House welcoming ceremony also noticed some minor episodes. There were many Chinese media personnel, so when they were jockeying for positions, there were some small conflicts with the American media, and they also had unpleasant interactions with the White House Secret Service. So this easily makes people hesitate: why did they come this time? First, the time is very short; they said 3 days, but it's actually about 24 hours. Second, the reporters are mainly Chinese reporters. Third, the time they actually spent on substantive discussions in the Oval Office was only half an hour. You can't discuss anything, negotiate anything, or decide anything in half an hour; both sides are like performing a play.

And this time, everyone has observed that there was no formal joint press conference by the heads of state after the meeting, nor was such an arrangement made. So, what everyone is very curious about now is what exactly the schedule was this morning. At 11:30 AM in the Oval Office, there was a small-scale bilateral meeting between the heads of state; at 12:00 PM in the White House Cabinet Room, they went to the B-level of the Cabinet Room for an expanded meeting between officials from both sides. This meeting started at 12:00 PM. As for what exactly the officials on both sides discussed—including the Secretary of Defense, Treasury Secretary Bessent, and Secretary of State Rubio, whom we saw in the footage; and on the Chinese side, Director of the General Office of the CCP Central Committee Cai Qi, Vice Premier He Lifeng, and Wang Yi, who were all present—everyone is very eager to know.

Our White House correspondent has learned that Xinhua News Agency has released some news flashes stating that Taiwan was discussed, but the official US readout of the meeting has not yet been released. Our White House correspondent Huang Youyi is currently helping us obtain the latest readout. Once it is out, we will share it with our listeners, viewers, and guests in a special program.

However, there was a small episode that our reporter on the scene noticed. During the welcome ceremony today, President Trump actually invited Xi Jinping to visit his Marine One, the new helipad for Marine One, and even invited him to sit inside. Media nearby loudly asked: "Mr. President, did you discuss Taiwan with Xi Jinping? And will Jimmy Lai, the founder of the Hong Kong Apple Daily, be released? What about the issue of releasing political prisoners?" Of course, there was no response at the time, but this also shows where the media's focus lies.

We are still waiting for the distinguished guests. However, regarding President Trump—actually, US presidents have never been on time. This is not a criticism of Trump; Biden was the same, Obama was too, and Clinton was especially famous for never being on time. So this is just a small anecdote in the state dinner arrangements.

But actually, Robert Daly and Mr. Xu Yuren, what we want to talk about today are the substantive issues. Of course, we will also get hold of the menu for tonight's state dinner at the White House, which we will present later in a graphic. What exactly President Trump is treating Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan to is also something we will discuss in our program. But the substantive issues are, of course, as rich as the dishes.

It is said that this time, like in May, there are three "T"s: Trade, Taiwan, and Tehran—all important topics starting with "T". This time, AI, or technology, which we just mentioned, has been added. I interviewed Yu Maochun of the Hudson Institute earlier, and he said that none of these four "T"s will lead to any concrete agreements. What is your take?

Definitely. The first is the issue of time. And every time there is a summit like this, they never have any casual chats or discussions; they all have scripts and lines, and their agendas are arranged in advance. Because generally speaking, if you are responsible for arranging a summit, you don't want to let any leader think or feel surprised, because that could embarrass him, so everything is arranged in advance. Our viewers must not think that these people are honestly discussing and telling the truth to solve problems; that is not the case at all.

And the four issues you mentioned—the Iran issue, trade issue, Taiwan issue, and Tehran/Iran issue, plus technology and artificial intelligence—are all complex, difficult problems, and very hard to solve. In fact, when Xi Jinping went to see Trump in May, nothing was achieved. Originally, there were expectations of placing more orders for Boeing, or even lifting the ban on chips, but Beijing did not purchase any H200 chips.

So, the Chairman went on a trip, but he had to go because the "big boss" called and said, "Come with me." This time they certainly don't have to fly so far, but I don't think this trip will yield any results either.

I think with Trump's personality, he just likes a big spectacle, likes to act like a "big boss," but he is not actually clear about what to do. Sometimes he speaks off the cuff without thinking it through beforehand. Although President Trump said earlier that because the meeting time was short, any topic could be discussed during Xi Jinping's visit this time, he also hopes to have a discussion, especially on the Iran issue, which is also what everyone is very concerned about now, because the conflict in the Middle East is quite tense.

Previously, President Trump, including his Treasury Secretary Bessent, had imposed some specific sanctions against China, hoping that China would cut off support for Iran in terms of technology, intelligence, and even money, so that China could play a more positive and proactive role in the Middle East conflict. What do you think of these specific measures?

I think he can say it, but the actual execution and the follow-through are a big problem. Moreover, the Chinese side has some countermeasures, such as critical minerals, i.e., rare earths. Today, Xi Jinping is coming over, and he says, "Let's talk again." The time for this meeting has arrived again, and you can clearly see that the control is in Beijing's hands. This summit is actually needed more by Trump than by Xi Jinping, so this is the most critical point.

Before his arrival, most American experts analyzing this summit believed that Xi Jinping would have the dominant position, completely dominant position. Therefore, he had no need to agree not to export these things to Taiwan, because Iran uses many Chinese parts to make missiles or drones, but Xi Jinping has no reason whatsoever to agree. So this issue will be raised, but I don't think it will yield any concrete results.

Later, we will also ask the two guests about Trump's policy strategies toward China and his overall layout. However, right now we see the arrangements for the state banquet on the screen, and it seems, as Mr. De Bode just said, there is a bit of a delay in timing. Regarding who holds more dominance and the upper hand in this U.S.-China summit, various analyses actually differ. Especially now, as we know, China is internally facing many problems, including economic issues. I would like to hear from the two of you whether you have different views on who holds more leverage at the negotiating table.

I think the Chinese side cares most about this red line of Taiwan. In fact, on all issues, even views on AI, the two sides are poles apart and completely different. But the Taiwan issue is the sole focus for Xi Jinping coming to Washington to meet Trump: I want to tell you face-to-face in Washington that you cannot cross this red line. This part is very clear, to let Trump know that if you cross this red line, the most severe consequence will be what. He has a way to make it difficult for Trump to maneuver on this very issue.

Do you think Xi Jinping will ask Trump to formally announce that the United States opposes Taiwan's complete independence? I think there are two scenarios. One is to state it publicly, for example, facing the cameras and in front of Trump, Xi Jinping says, President Trump, I hope you publicly express opposition to Taiwan independence. The second thing is to say publicly, continue to suspend or cancel arms sales to Taiwan.

There are two scenarios: one is that Xi Jinping says it, and Trump says nothing; the second is that it is said, and then Trump makes a response. The response might be that Xi Jinping will tell him, we will meet again, so you had better not cross this red line.

On the issue of arms sales to Taiwan, various opinions differ. Some also believe that the Trump administration's policy toward Taiwan has not changed, and this point, including his cabinet members, has repeatedly reiterated that it will not change because of the current situation of arms sales. Arms sales are still on the table, and the Trump administration's policy toward Taiwan will not change.

The issue of arms sales to Taiwan, because it was a question loudly asked by the media during the White House welcoming ceremony this morning, shows that this is a topic of great concern to everyone. On this topic, we interviewed Professor Miles Yu, Director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, earlier today, and let's listen to how Professor Miles Yu views the issue of arms sales to Taiwan.

America is the world's largest arms exporter, and the world's largest arms buyer is Taiwan, which is a very obvious fact. If you don't understand the fundamental things about this, it is difficult to understand the solidity of U.S.-Taiwan relations. Last December, the United States sold 11 billion USD of very critical and targeted weapons to Taiwan, which is a very large deal. There is another 14 billion USD, which has not yet been completed, and this requires some concrete measures.

First of all, the United States currently also needs a strategic balance, and needs a balance in weapon supplies as well. In addition, U.S. weapons for Taiwan are mainly targeted at the degree of threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party to Taiwan. This has been the case since the 1970s; whether the United States sells weapons to Taiwan depends entirely on the degree of threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party to Taiwan, so the United States has its own policy considerations.

You just said whether the threat of the Chinese Communist Party to Taiwan has increased; of course it has increased, but at the same time Taiwan has also bought a lot of U.S. weapons. Therefore, Taiwan also needs internal adjustments because although Taiwan's defense system and the U.S. defense system have many close integrations, the degree of integration is still far from enough. This requires taking it slowly; too many things absorbed in the past without digestion would instead become a burden.

Of course, this does not mean the United States lacks the determination to further sell weapons to Taiwan. In fact, 14 billion USD has already been approved, and it largely depends on giving Xi Jinping some face and some pressure. If you continue to increase pressure on Taiwan, we will sell the weapons right away, which is also a counterbalance to the Chinese Communist Party. I think this does not necessarily mean there is any change in U.S. politics; it is mainly a tactical consideration and also a way to exert pressure on the Chinese Communist Party. For Taiwan, practically speaking, the more pressure exerted on the Chinese Communist Party, the more effective the security guarantee for Taiwan will be.

Mr. Xu, what do you think of Professor Miles Yu's statement? In fact, the U.S. government's policy has not changed, and support for Taiwan has not changed; it is merely a tactical application because negotiations are currently underway with the Chinese side, which actually allows for greater pressure on the Chinese Communist Party and makes the guarantee to Taiwan even more solid. What do you think?

This is a double-edged sword, especially depending on how a leader handles policy principles. For example, regarding arms sales, you could say I approved it, but delayed notifying Congress, meaning the final step was not completed, which indicates that this arms sale case, the arms sale, is still not finished. For Xi Jinping, of course, he will feel this is a thorn in his side, and he will keep trying to pressure Trump; Trump may also continue to delay.

If the delay continues, it will create political divisions within Taiwan. Especially for many pro-US figures in Taiwan, they are starting to say, 'Look, Trump might abandon Taiwan. Even though we’ve already paid, we still can’t get our weapons. So when on earth will we get them? Will it be after the Trump-Xi meeting, after APEC, after the G20, or will it be postponed indefinitely?'

You can imagine that in the 2028 Taiwanese presidential election, this will easily be spun into: Taiwan bought weapons from the US and couldn't even get them. If this kind of pro-US skepticism spreads in Taiwan, it will cause serious damage to the US's image and the alliance between the US and Taiwan.

This is why I say Trump treats arms sales as a negotiation, as leverage. Yes, they are leverage. If he doesn't handle them well, they will be used against us; but if used well, he can keep Xi Jinping feeling uneasy. Right now, however, I feel he doesn't quite know how to handle this move or what to do, because he doesn't understand these subtle strategies.

However, regarding the US-China summit just mentioned, of course, once the news that the summit was going to happen spread, America's allies started to feel some tension, including the previously mentioned issue of arms sales to Taiwan. Even Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi actually very much hoped to meet with President Trump ahead of this US-China summit. Therefore, even before the two officially met at the UN General Assembly, news kept circulating that Sanae Takaichi wanted to come to the US and meet Trump in person. Well, we are now cutting live to the scene where President Trump and First Lady Melania are dressed up and ready outside the White House state banquet venue to welcome the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan. Let's go to the live footage so our viewers can experience the state banquet held by the White House for the Chinese leader. What we are seeing now should be Xi Jinping's motorcar arriving. Xi Jinping is wearing a Zhongshan suit, which is quite unique; First Lady Peng Liyuan is wearing a bright red gown. First Lady Melania's outfit is also quite unique, not the typical formal evening gown. I think Melania's choice here is quite nice.

So this US-China summit is actually even more watchable. Since Melania wasn't taken to the May summit, today's summit has two first ladies present. Looking at Xi Jinping this way, though, I feel his physique is not as robust as before, but his health seems okay. Many people heard that his hair used to be dyed jet-black, and now it has turned gray, making him look a bit older, but having lost some weight is probably for the better since he was a bit overweight in the past.

We can now see that President Trump and First Lady Melania have led visiting President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan, who is wearing a bright red gown, into the White House state banquet. They are holding the state banquet in the East Room tonight. I wonder if they will let us see footage of the banquet inside the East Room; sometimes they let the media in to film. Of course, later, scheduled for around 8:00 PM Eastern Time, there will be a toast segment between the two sides, and there should be simultaneous interpretation for the toasts given by the two leaders.

However, following up on that earlier topic—since we are naturally very concerned about the state banquet and will introduce it later, but the arms sales to Taiwan just mentioned, and whether this US-China summit will make Taiwan or Japan feel nervous, are also very important issues. I also interviewed Andrew Harding, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation specializing in national security and Indo-Pacific affairs. He specifically interpreted Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi taking the initiative to meet with President Trump at the UN General Assembly prior to the US-China summit. Actually, this is also a strategy on the US side, hoping to appease the emotions of allies, which is very important. The Trump administration's layout may be more comprehensive; while dealing with China, it also hopes to provide a dual assurance to allies, Japan, and Taiwan. Let's listen to the analysis by Heritage Foundation researcher Andrew Harding.

Reassuring allies is extremely important. The whole world is watching this summit, and the US and China are the two most influential countries in the world. Therefore, countries everywhere care about what outcomes the summit will achieve and hope to understand how US-China relations will develop in the future. I am very glad to see that the President has placed the meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in an important position. As you mentioned, he even made a special phone call to her while leaving Beijing en route back, which once again demonstrates that the President attaches great importance to the relationship between the United States and Japan, as well as the US-Japan alliance.

As for what this means for Taiwan, I think it should also indicate that the United States is well aware that Taiwan has many important interests affected during this summit. The Trump administration team has always maintained a good relationship with Taiwan, and of course, the arms sales issue is also an important topic. I think we may not get an immediate answer this week, and that is intentional, because the President does not want this issue to affect the summit. But I remain confident that the President and other officials in the administration recognize that US-Taiwan relations are of vital importance to America's national security and economic interests.

So I understand that all parties may have some concerns about this summit, but I believe the President's team is sending a message to allies and partners around the world: the United States remains strong, and the President holds the cards. He will ensure that allies and partners are kept informed in a timely manner, letting them know what to expect, and he will not make decisions that harm the interests of allies, nor will he take any actions that might embolden the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or endanger the free world.

According to Andrew Harding of the Heritage Foundation, Trump is actually very clear that the relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan is at the core of U.S. interests, and it is impossible for him to sacrifice the interests of allies to cater to the CCP. This is just his strategy, and he even took the first step by meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to ensure he calmed the nerves of allies, letting Japan know not to be nervous, and that Taiwan's interests would also be safeguarded.

He is being a bit too optimistic. Calming allies is not President Trump's forte; he has been increasing tariffs and import duties on them in certain areas. That is to say, even if Japan or South Korea pose a danger to U.S. security, he does the same. After all, the Heritage Foundation has always been a cheerleader for Trump. We certainly have different opinions on our platform, because for the U.S.-China summit, we want to hear the views of different think tanks. We in the U.S. have recently interviewed many different think tanks across the spectrum, all of whom have analyses of this U.S.-China summit.

But in reality, we know that many U.S. allies and traditional partners feel they have been under attack by Trump, especially in terms of trade. Japan is, of course, one of the most important U.S. allies. Although Trump made a phone call to the Japanese Prime Minister at that time, as far as I know, when discussing with some Japanese diplomats or scholars, they said that Japan is still very nervous inside, and this so-called reassurance is far from enough.

Moreover, they know that when Trump meets with Xi Jinping, in order to please him, Trump sometimes speaks without thinking. For example, on the plane, he said that arms sales to Taiwan could be used as a bargaining chip. This violates a very important promise the U.S. has made to Taiwan in history, right? The Six Assurances, which were from the Reagan era, he violated them.

And this time, because Xi Jinping has... but I think President Trump has a characteristic, which is that he is actually not bound by these traditional diplomatic rules. As just mentioned, the Six Assurances were from the Reagan era, and he actually said himself that these were already outdated. Looking back at his first term, he also directly said, regarding the One-China policy, why should I be bound by the One-China policy? He even called the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, directly at that time.

So he is actually someone who is not bound by traditions or past policies and can clearly recognize the greatest threat to the United States at present. He believes the CCP is the number one threat, so there is a series of actions, including his various Secretaries of State, Treasury Secretary Bessent, and others, using sanctions and diplomatic pressure to have his cabinet members carry out the goals he hopes to achieve.

But I would like to ask Mr. Xu Yuren: the United States, especially President Trump, is skilled at making deals and reaching agreements. How can he reach an agreement without losing some of the strategic advantages the U.S. holds? If you could give some advice to the Trump administration, what would you suggest he do at the summit?

To understand current U.S. foreign policy, one must first understand the personality and character of Trump, because he is not a traditional politician. As you just mentioned, he is a transactional person; let's think of him as a businessman. In all international politics, he might be thinking in the way of a real estate developer. This also forces all allies currently cooperating with the U.S. to look at things in terms of interest conversion and interest exchange.

So this does not mean he will trade away Taiwan, or that he will trade away allies, but rather that in his mind, in his eyes, how much is this entity worth? What's your value? What's in it for me? That is how he looks at it. For example, when he looks at Taiwan, he is looking at chips and arms sales; China, of course, is a larger entity, with various agricultural products, and the complex relationship between the U.S. and China, etc. He can look at them separately like this.

We can continue to exchange different opinions on this topic later. However, we can already see on the screen that President Trump is delivering a speech—it should be a speech—so we would like to ask the director to switch us to the live scene of the White House state dinner. We will cut back to the state dinner scene later to listen to the speeches by President Trump and Xi Jinping at the state dinner.

However, the transactional personality mentioned by Mr. Xu Yuren just now is something everyone understands to some extent, but many people also believe that President Trump is still a person with beliefs and principles. Including many occasions before the U.S.-China summit, he has recently been constantly mentioning that communism is the greatest threat. He deeply understands the suffering, poverty, and even oppression that communism brings to humanity.

At the last summit in May, President Trump raised the human rights issue in front of Xi Jinping, calling for the release of Pastor Jin Mingri and the release of Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media entrepreneur. In fact, less than two months after the May summit, on July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and American Independence Day, Pastor Jin Mingri was released.

He also made many efforts to facilitate the release of American citizens illegally detained by China, even putting in a great deal of work. How do you view such situations? Some people believe that President Trump was not wrong, that he had a bargaining advantage at the negotiating table, but he also held firm to his beliefs and values.

Mr. Dai, as you said, we don't know what is really in his mind. Of course, every time they release anyone, we should celebrate; that is very good news. However, is this because the President is very eager and understands the competition between China and the United States, especially the competition in terms of values? I don't know if he has a very systematic strategy.

Many people say that although the world thinks Trump is good at negotiating, many defend him, saying he has a deep strategy that others cannot see. Of course, I have my subjective view, but it is really hard for me to say what is in his mind. Different sides have different opinions.

However, on the issue of human rights, this time many issues, including the trade, tariffs, and even technology aspects and technological competition just mentioned, may not necessarily reach concrete, achievable, and immediately visible commitments or consensus. But many people believe that less than two months after the summit in May, the release of Pastor Kim Dong-chul was actually a very big breakthrough on human rights issues. Mr. Xu Yuren, what do you think?

Actually, on some issues, Trump plays quite hard, which has to do with his personality. He is a winner. Look at his life journey; he can hit rock bottom and climb back up, go bankrupt and start over, and even become the President of the United States, and he was elected for two terms. So his personality of 'I want to be a winner' is very strong.

I am Taiwanese myself, and I would think that during Trump's term, he would absolutely not let Xi Jinping carry out—this is also a public commitment he made—an attack on Taiwan, or even use force against Taiwan. Xi is also very clear; he knows that during Trump's term, he must get along well with the United States. Of course, there is competition in many areas, but in the big picture, he must maintain strategic stability between the two sides.

Under this strategic stability, we can compete in many categories, but I must at least show a gesture: I give you face, and you give me face. At this stage, everyone is at peace. So giving each other face is not a very big breakthrough. You say this is a breakthrough, but I don't think so.

Why? You say Trump demanded he release a certain dissident pastor, and seeing concrete results on human rights issues, it has never been this fast, and without seeing concrete transaction items, Pastor Kim Dong-chul was released. First, he did not make any exchange. Past U.S. presidents have done this too; it is not just Trump who has done this.

If it were an exchange, we don't know what the U.S. gave. And the biggest problem is that in these aspects, the 100% control over whether or not to release these prisoners is in the hands of Xi Jinping. When to give or not to give is his choice. So this so-called transaction is controlled by the Chinese side. It looks to me that Trump actually has no leverage over Xi.

Yes, that is indeed saying, it depends on whether Xi is willing to cooperate. I think that while both sides are maintaining strategic stability between the two countries, he will release some benefits, he will give to Huang Shengzun. Because Xi Jinping does this, he doesn't pay any price, and it is a very easy thing to do.

However, some experts believe that in fact, as early as Trump's first term, he clearly recognized the threat from China. At that time, from the initial engagement policy toward China to later using this deterrence policy to deal with China's problems, he had actually soberly recognized the nature of the CCP and made a qualitative change in his policy toward China.

Regarding this issue, I think the person who most likely and most clearly understands President Trump's thoughts is Professor Miles Yu, who once served by his side and held important positions in the State Department during his first term. That is why I specifically conducted some interviews with him before this summit, asking him to analyze how he views Trump's current second-term policy toward China, and after two summits and meetings with Xi Jinping, how he compares the differences in Trump's China strategy between his first and second terms.

Let's listen to the analysis of Professor Miles Yu, Director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute. I think there is no 'T' that can reach a final outcome; in the end, it may form a slightly prolonged, another fifth 'T', which is 'Truce'. Because the key issues involve the fundamental national policies and strategies of the two countries. You just mentioned the Taiwan issue; the CCP will absolutely not yield, and the U.S. will not yield either; the trade issue is even less so, and other issues are the same.

Look, since May, artificial intelligence, now what Mr. Trump calls super intelligence, has also become an important topic. This is mainly for the U.S. and China to manage. Why? Because super intelligence, AI, is very powerful; its power can benefit humanity, but it can also pose a great threat to the destruction of humanity.

Therefore, managing and controlling each other is also very important. In this regard, the United States is not begging the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Why? Because the United States is innovative and leads in artificial intelligence, while the CCP is also number one in stealing American artificial intelligence products. Therefore, regarding this control, the United States and the CCP have reached a certain agreement. This agreement is very likely a gentleman's agreement on paper.

However, as everyone knows, in cyberspace, artificial intelligence actually never has a day of truce. Regardless of any agreements, because the CCP is just like that. If the CCP were to stop stealing advanced U.S. technology, then the CCP would not be the CCP.

Every time I interview Professor Miles Yu, I feel that in his answers, he very soberly and clearly recognizes the nature of the CCP. After all, he came out of this system; he deeply understands the nature of the CCP and what kind of strategy should be used when dealing with it. Of course, later we will also air a specific segment of his comparing President Trump's strategy toward China. However, in the segment just now, I think there is a key point we can discuss in depth, which is the

Strategic stability, that is the term. Actually, I feel these formulations are a diplomatic tool of China rather than the United States. In fact, all U.S. diplomacy, the bilateral relations between the U.S. and any country, are never packaged with catchphrases. U.S.-China relations are U.S.-China relations, U.S.-Japan relations are U.S.-Japan relations, there is no slogan attached. Having a slogan like this is a Chinese model. Why did China propose such a formulation? It is to control and restrict all of Trump's diplomatic space. As for stability, we know that the Chinese side's definition and understanding of stability differs from that of the United States. So now if we say this is substantive strategic stability, any U.S. action that the Chinese side dislikes can be labeled as a threat to our stability, or as non-substantive and persecutory, meaning you are breaking your promise. Therefore, I don't know how this formulation helps us properly handle U.S.-China relations.

During this visit by Xi Jinping, he also said that what we want is peaceful coexistence, right? He said peaceful coexistence, which of course is necessary; we have no choice but to do peaceful coexistence. Yet I am not entirely at ease with the U.S. adopting a Chinese political formulation. Just now, Mr. Robert Daly, I think, mentioned something very important, which is the so-called strategic stability. In fact, the definitions of strategic stability held by the U.S. and China are somewhat different. Mr. Xu Yun can further help us interpret: what do you think are the differences in interpretation and definition between Washington and Beijing regarding the so-called strategic stability?

Right, to put strategic stability in plain terms, stability actually means maintaining the status quo. But this status quo has different interpretations for the Chinese side and the U.S. side, and it is even somewhat like agreeing to disagree. As long as we have a mutually agreed-upon term, and at this point in time we all maintain a superficial stability, then I can mutually shape your behavior. Under such circumstances, a framework is reached. But the problem is that I have not clearly stated what my definition of stability is. In other words, I can return to Beijing and continue my gray-zone operations targeting Taiwan; I can still continue to harass allies and so on in various aspects. But as long as we have already reached this strategic stability—which in my view is the strategic stability that maintains China's internal stability—then it becomes Trump walking right into Xi's trap.

This trap is the way things stay the way they are. For both sides, signals are actually being sent out: neither of us should change. But this matter of no change is perceived according to my standards and done in my way, not according to our shared ones.

Well, thanks to our on-site guests for expressing different opinions. However, let us also listen to different perspectives on how the U.S.-China summit will manage crises and prevent miscalculations. We also interviewed Andrew Harding, Research Fellow in Asian Studies for the Allison Center for Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation, along with some of his analysis. Let us also listen to these different viewpoints. Alright, the control room will play the clip of our prior interview with the Heritage Foundation researcher in a moment. But just now we talked about this strategic stability: what issues are the U.S. and China currently most worried about experiencing the greatest miscalculations or the biggest divergences on during this summit? These are the topics we have put on the table. Excuse me, the control room says they have found that interview, so let's first listen to different perspectives before continuing our discussion, shall we? Let's listen to what Heritage Foundation researcher Andrew Harding has to say.

The two sides might establish a mechanism so that when national security issues arise, or when an issue begins to show signs of trouble, it can function similarly to a crisis management mechanism. That is to say, once a problem arises, there is a communication channel between the two heads of state or the two sides' leaders to exchange information in a timely manner, ensuring that each other understands the issues the other is working to resolve. More importantly, it avoids miscalculations. So ultimately, on the issue of artificial intelligence, both sides hope to establish a mechanism that can prevent escalation and also hope to form some sort of consensus, because establishing such communication and understanding serves the common interests of both sides.

More broadly speaking, I think the most important thing is to find areas where both sides can reach a consensus. We might see some agreements on tariff reductions, but they probably won't involve strategic commodities; instead, they might focus on non-strategic commodities, and the scale could reach billions of dollars. Beyond that, we should not expect too many major announcements here, because both leaders hope to maintain the basic stability of bilateral relations. But at the same time, both sides remain competitors, with the United States and China continuing to compete, so the room for real maneuvering and negotiation between the two sides is limited. I think we might see some progress in areas like artificial intelligence, trade, or tariffs, but major breakthroughs sufficient to redefine U.S.-China relations are unlikely to occur.

Of course, we and the Chinese and US sides, they insist that these exchanges are very necessary, with various so-called red lines. You can make a call, and if there is a crisis, you can immediately contact them, which is all necessary. I agree, but is this formulation, this so-called framework, of any practical use? That is the question I am asking. Just as the Chinese side originally proposed, around 2013 or 2014, a new model of major-country relations. President Obama at that time saw through it and knew it was a trap. You say it is a trap, and that formulation was denied, but they still pursued a relatively stable relationship. However, we should not just say we want a stable relationship. When the leaders of the two countries meet, what factors should they discuss, and what issues endanger our stability? Why do we mistrust each other? Why do we need stability? Because we are getting closer and closer to conflict, right?

We say we want to stabilize our relationship, but later when we return to Washington and they return to Beijing, we still develop some new types of weapons, we still want to win the so-called artificial intelligence race, and so on. So it's dishonest, not truthful. When we say things like this, it is to buy a few more years, to allow me to prepare my strategy and my weapons. I think this is also a matter of strategic stability in terms of authenticity, a form of self-deception.

However, regarding strategic stability, I believe the US side also sees the Chinese Communist Party very clearly, because after all, the system of the Chinese Communist Party is completely different from that of the United States. Especially given the record of so many times in the past, after signing many agreements, they might not be able to fulfill their commitments. Therefore, under such circumstances, genuinely achieving strategic stability with the Chinese Communist Party has an inherent difficulty. I think Trump's team should be able to—in my view, aside from the President himself, those around him, such as Rubio, have clear heads. He has a clear head, and furthermore, having long served in the US Senate, his hawk-like attitude toward China is also very clear.

The problem now is that under these circumstances of competing while talking and then pausing hostilities, in this kind of close-range confrontation, neither side knows what the other is thinking. So when you are at the negotiating table, not to mention showing your bottom cards, you might not even be able to play a hand properly because the other side doesn't trust you, and then the foundation of trust is quite low. It is under such circumstances that I think US-China relations will maintain a superficial kind of stability, but the fluctuations beneath it will be huge. And if there is even a small accident, it could spiral out of control.

These are things that I think the secretary-level officials on both sides must discuss. The leaders of both sides can put on a show, sit down to eat, drink, and toast for photos, but if these working-level officials cannot negotiate the specific matters that need to be discussed, I think that if the United States is about to enter the 2028 election soon, it could very quickly reverse and turn back into fierce competition.

Right, of course, regarding this topic of strategic stability, we can also bring in another guest today, Mr. Shiban Mingfu, who is connecting with us from Taiwan. We can bring in different perspectives and exchange different views together. However, our special program today, although of course aimed at this evening's White House state dinner, right? What are they eating? What are they eating today? We will chat about some relaxed topics, and besides the issues, we should also pay attention to the menu of the state dinner.

So actually, our White House reporter, Voice of America's White House reporter, specifically collected some important information regarding tonight's state dinner menu, and we also made an infographic. We can ask the director to help us put up tonight's state dinner menu. Of course, according to tradition, when the White House hosts foreign heads of state, it should still be based on American ingredients so that they are fresher, but this time it also incorporated some Chinese elements to show how the culinary traditions of the US and China can be cleverly combined.

And this banquet, its wine is very special. The wine used is called Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs, a sparkling wine from the United States. It is said that when Nixon visited China in 1972, he held this historic toast with Premier Zhou Enlai in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, wasn't it a toast then? This was called the toast of the kiss of peace. This wine also appears on today's state dinner menu.

So what is the first course? Let's take a look. The first course is pumpkin soup with wild mushrooms and crispy Italian cured meat. Does it sound delicious? The second course is sesame-crusted sea bass, served with braised baby bok choy, roasted seasonal eggplant, and green herb sauce.

Within my experience, because Trump's White House originally said their goal was to properly entertain Xi Jinping, their menu combined Chinese and Western elements. Within my experience, when Chinese chefs make Chinese-Western fusion dishes, they are relatively successful, but when American chefs make so-called Chinese-Western fusion, it is not necessarily so successful. I don't know if General Secretary Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan have started eating at the White House now. We are waiting for them to raise their glasses and give a toast.

Then there is also dessert. The dessert is called vanilla cream dessert and White House honey ice cream. Because we know that previously the White House now keeps its own beehive, they use the honey produced by the bees inside the White House to make this honey ice cream, adopting this vanilla cream dessert, also paired with sour cherry jam.

Actually, I feel that this White House state banquet doesn't seem as high-end as the outside world imagines. How so? If Chinese viewers saw this menu, with just three courses—the first course, the second course—and eating very little, it doesn't seem very abundant. If you have any state visit in China, there are probably 40 different dishes. Yes, a Manchu-Han imperial feast.

Actually, seeing this, I feel quite relieved, because we know Trump likes to eat McDonald's. I think it's fortunate it wasn't McDonald's, inviting President Xi Jinping to eat burgers. And I know our White House has its own chef, so the ingredients should be considered fresh, because at least it lets Xi Jinping feel the United States' welcome towards him. I think at least the food is enjoyable to eat, and what is discussed is another matter.

Last night, I had dinner with one of Trump's neighbors in Florida. He frequently goes over to Trump's place, where Trump plays the host. He said that many Americans don't know that if Trump is the host, he is particularly generous and thoughtful. He would mention, "How is everyone's steak cooked? It looks like this part is burnt, I'll get you a new one," acting very kind. I am very surprised that Trump is really such a person. He is very dedicated to the issue of dining, so I estimate that in this aspect, tonight's dinner will be very successful.

Yes, he is quite considerate. Yes, as far as I know, some of my friends have been to Mar-a-Lago, and when he comes out to host, it is also in this very, very hospitable manner of a host. Speaking of Mar-a-Lago, plus we are discussing what Trump and Xi Jinping are eating, it reminds me of a past episode of the US-China summit. If the two of you remember, comment on it for us, and we can sign in to the next topic of Iran.

This should have happened in 2017, when Xi Jinping went to Mar-a-Lago to visit the United States, but that time he didn't enter the White House, it was at Mar-a-Lago, and Trump invited him to Florida. Then the two of them were also eating, and also eating dessert. As we just mentioned dessert, President Trump dropped a bombshell on General Secretary Xi Jinping. I don't know if everyone remembers, talking right to his face: "I just dropped over 50 Tomahawk missiles on Syria." Remember? Mr. Der Derian remembers very clearly. Very clearly, so he is very good at eating with you while emphasizing his strength to you: I dropped Tomahawk missiles on Syria, saying this right to his face while eating dessert. I wonder if today at the state banquet scene, he will once again drop some bombshells on Xi Jinping, expressing regarding Iran—didn't he say a couple of days ago that he would completely destroy Iran?

Why are you changing the subject? I estimate not, not this time. I feel the Chinese side's biggest worry is that they know the US side, especially Trump, is very good at praising Xi Jinping during meetings, saying you are the smartest, greatest, my favorite friend, etc.; a week or two later, new export controls are rolled out, seemingly having nothing to do with their so-called friendly relationship. So the Chinese side knows that after finishing the meeting and returning to China, they still have to wait a few weeks to see what new actions the United States will take.

Mr. Xu Yiren, do you think this US-China summit will affect the situation in the Middle East? Just like you mentioned earlier, right in front of Xi Jinping saying "I attacked Syria," will he say right in front of Xi Jinping "I might do something to Iran, which is relatively friendly to you and you"?

I think it's very difficult, because last time, when Trump said "I dropped 50 Tomahawk missiles," the time and space environment back then was completely different from the current situation of Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. And at that time Trump was still a novice; his whole situation back then was completely different from the situation where the US is now unable to extricate itself. In that setting, if he wants to make such a statement, he must be 100% sure. But what does he want China to do next? If he has no way to ask Xi Jinping to cooperate with him, his saying this becomes empty rhetoric, and then he instead loses credibility with all his supporters, and even many hawks within the Republican Party—many of these senators and representatives who want to urge a quick withdrawal and detachment from the Iranian battlefield, and who are running for election—they are all worried, right?

Mr. Der Derian, do you think this time President Trump mentioning to Xi Jinping face-to-face such an issue of your support and funding for Iran or Russia, hoping that in this part they can cut off the Chinese side's covert support, and achieve more concrete results on the Iranian issue or the Russia-Ukraine war?

I guess he will definitely raise the Iranian issue, and he will also ask Xi Jinping to put pressure on them to reach a peace agreement; he will say it like that. But Xi Jinping will not give him a straightforward answer, and I guess Trump won't press further, because he doesn't hold any hope that Xi Jinping will help him achieve any breakthrough regarding Iran.

How do we view the pressure exerted on China in the economic aspect, including secondary sanctions? He said he would implement these sanctions, saying he does not rule out sanctioning Chinese banks. But I guess he doesn't dare.

I also agree, because in fact, Rubio has mentioned it, and Bessent has mentioned it, but it feels more like a threat, yet in reality, I haven't seen the follow-through. In other words, Trump currently cannot really make Xi agree to do anything, and that is a big problem. That is to say, I have no way to demand that you achieve the goals I want, so it becomes a situation where I can talk, but I will just act as if I have listened, yet there will be no results. I think that is the situation.

But speaking is still very important, especially speaking in front of the cameras, because all political figures need to make a statement. This statement is for their constituents, that is, to speak to their supporters. Xi is doing the same thing, and Trump is doing the same thing. In fact, speaking of this, we need to interpret that the US-China summit has its own internal demands, including Xi Jinping, who also needs to account to his domestic audience; and the US side also hopes to use this US-China summit to achieve some things on the checklist it needs to reach in its own political agenda. I hope that after the White House minutes of the US-China summit are released later, we can be more certain about exactly what issues were discussed by both sides at the Cabinet Room in the White House at noon today, and what concrete results were achieved.

Alright, we have now connected with our guest in Taiwan, Mr. Seki Hei, CEO of the Asia-Pacific Strategic Think Tank. We welcome another guest from Taiwan to the Voice of America's US-China summit special program. Mr. Seki, you are very welcome.

Hello host, hello everyone.

Alright, I don't know if you heard our discussion with the two guests on site before you came online. Of course, connecting with us from Taiwan, you can add some exchange of different perspectives. How do you see this US-China summit? We just talked with the guests on site about President Trump giving Xi Jinping plenty of face, but also hoping to gain substance on actual issues. How do you observe this US-China summit? On which issues do you think a consensus will be reached, and which ones might lead to misjudgment and disagreement, or have no results? Mr. Seki Hei.

I think that the current leaders of both the US and China are such that they might agree to many things on the surface, but whether they do it afterwards is another matter. Both sides' words and actions are not very consistent. So we saw the US-China trade war; during the first Trump administration, they actually reached negotiations many times and agreed many times on how both sides should act, but they did not fulfill these commitments afterwards. So I think what was reached this time actually does not have much substance. But I think this is not too important. What is very important is that the most important bilateral relationship that the whole world is concerned about—the relationship between the United States and China—has now received a very significant easing, that is, both sides have worked very hard not to let the conflict escalate further, and to ease the conflict, but they have not resolved the contradictions, and both sides have given each other plenty of face. I think this point is actually very, very important.

Alright, thank you very much, Mr. Seki Hei. We have now seen the scene of the White House state dinner on site, and President Trump is delivering his remarks. Let's listen to the sound from the scene.

It is a great honor, thank you all. President Xi, Madame Peng, members of the Chinese delegation, Melania and I are very happy to welcome you all to the White House once again. You are truly remarkable people. Earlier this year, when I visited Beijing, the hospitality of the Chinese people left a deep impression on me. Tonight, as you return to Washington for the first time in ten years, we also hope to treat you with the same courtesy. A long time ago, European explorers, while searching for a new route to China in the East, first discovered the American continent. This exploration created the modern world and this beautiful country, and eventually gave birth to the lasting friendship between the peoples of the United States and China. This is also the friendship we are celebrating tonight.

East and West eventually did meet here in America when the first formal delegation of Chinese diplomats came to the United States 158 years ago. In Boston they met American thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. In New York they dined with the governor, the mayor and titans of Wall Street. And in Washington they came to the White House.

The East and the West would eventually meet in the United States. 158 years ago, the first official Chinese diplomatic mission visited the United States. In Boston, they met with American thinkers such as Emerson and Thoreau; in New York, they dined with governors, mayors, and titans of Wall Street; upon arriving in Washington, they came to the White House and attended the first state dinner ever held between China and the United States. Tonight, on American soil, we revisit the spirit of that initial encounter. Contemporary top leaders from the business, cultural, and political sectors are gathered here. On one hand, China carries thousands of years of history and tradition, from Sun Tzu all the way to Sun Yat-sen; while what Americans have inherited are the traditions of faith originating from Jerusalem and Rome, the democracy of ancient Athens, the glorious military achievements of Sparta, and the freedom declared in Philadelphia 250 years ago.

Since the first trade ships from New York left the harbor to arrive on the banks of the Pearl River, Americans and Chinese have always exchanged goods, knowledge, customs and ideas. This has been the foundation of commerce and mutual respect between our countries. And together we can continue to build a relationship that promotes prosperity and security for future generations.

As leaders of our two nations, President Xi and I both understand that we represent different systems, but the bonds between our two peoples remain enduring and strong. Our relationship is better than it has been in the past. Since the first merchant ships departed from New York harbor and arrived at the banks of the Pearl River, the people of the United States and China have been trading goods and exchanging knowledge, customs, and ideas. This is the foundation of commerce and mutual respect between our two countries. We should work together to continue cultivating this relationship to bring prosperity and security to future generations.

I would like to go off-script for a moment, I must go off-script. But especially following Mr. Trump and Citi, who have a conscience.

I would like to invite everyone in the room to visit through that beautiful curtain in the back. The door is all lit up and looks beautiful. It's one year away from completion, the new ballroom that you've heard about, and you will see something that I think you will really love. Presidents have been trying to get this built for 150 years, and I can tell you that tonight, if we had it, we would have had way more than a thousand people, with standing room only. This room has about 145, that's about it. So they've been looking for this for over 150 years, all presidents, and they will shortly have it. So in honor of you, you'll be the first people to step foot on that, and we'll do that maybe after we're finished with—

Chairman Xi and Madam Peng, behind us there is a curtain, and behind the curtain is the passage to our brand-new banquet hall. It can be said that over the past 150 years, many presidents have hoped to build this banquet hall, but none have succeeded. After the banquet hall is completed, it will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 guests. It is a pity today that our current meeting room can only accommodate 145 people, but once completed, that banquet hall will be able to accommodate many, many more people. So when we finish eating and the performance is over, I would like to invite Chairman Xi and Madam Peng to step behind the curtain and take a look at the construction site that we have cleaned up, and look at the splendor within the construction site. We hope it will become a beautiful place, and in Beijing it bears your name.

In the spirit of this friendship, I am honored to present a gift to Chairman Xi. This gift comes from an outstanding American artist, arguably one of the best artists today, and was personally designed by Melania and me. The bald eagle, also known as the American eagle, is the national symbol of the United States, embodying the soaring spirit of American freedom. We hope it can be placed in a place of honor in Beijing. Chairman Xi, Madam Peng, Melania and I thank you both for visiting the United States on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Now I propose that we raise our glasses, pay tribute to Chairman Xi and Madam Peng, and toast to the deep friendship spanning thousands of miles and hundreds of years between China and the United States. May the two peoples have a better, more harmonious, and more peaceful future. Let us salute you. Now I invite Chairman Xi to come up and give a speech.

Thank you everyone. Respected President Trump and Madam Melania, ladies and gentlemen, friends, thank you President Trump and Madam Melania for the warm reception and thoughtful arrangements given to me and my wife. Mr. President and Madam have made many special arrangements for this visit, reflecting meticulousness and care everywhere, making us feel at home. Here, I would like to extend my sincere greetings to people from all walks of life in the United States who care about and support the development of China-US relations. At this moment, the Chinese people are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Chinese tradition, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a festive occasion for reunion. Here, I wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and family happiness.

honorable president Donald J. Trump and Mrs. Melania Trump, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends. Thank you, Mr. President and Mrs. Trump, for extending to my wife and me your gracious hospitality and thoughtful arrangements. You and Mrs. Trump have made many special arrangements for our visit, all prepared with meticulous care and consideration in every detail. You make us feel truly at home. I would also like to extend my sincere greetings to Americans from all sectors of society who care about China-U.S. relations and support the further growth of our bilateral ties. As I speak, my compatriots in China are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, a cherished occasion for a family reunion in Chinese tradition. I wish you all a very happy Mid-Autumn Festival and my best wishes to you and your families.The heads of state of China and the United States achieved mutual visits, creating history in bilateral exchanges. Today, I had a candid and in-depth exchange with President Trump, reaching many new understandings, enriching the connotation of the constructive strategic stability relationship between China and the United States, and providing new strategic guidance for China-U.S. relations.
In May this year, President Trump paid a successful visit to China at my invitation. We agreed to build a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability. During the visit, President Trump warmly invited me to visit the United States, and I have come as promised. In less than half a year, the Chinese and American presidents have exchanged state visits. Today, I had a candid and in-depth exchange with President Trump, reaching common understandings on many issues and providing new strategic guidance for China-U.S. relations.
Today, I and President Trump had sincere and in-depth exchanges and reached common understanding on many issues, and provided new strategic guidance for China-U.S. relations.

Not long ago, the United States grandly celebrated the 250th anniversary of its independence. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I expressed my congratulations. The history of more than 200 years has witnessed the friendly exchanges between the peoples of China and the United States.
Not long ago, the United States celebrated the 250th anniversary of its independence.

Over 200 years ago, when the United States became independent, it turned its eyes to China. The Chinese and American sides exchanged what each had and complemented each other's advantages, opening up trade between the two countries. President Washington purchased and collected a large amount of Chinese porcelain. The Chinese and American peoples fought side by side against the Japanese militarist aggressors and opened the famous Hump route. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Chinese military and civilians rescued hundreds of American pilots, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of Chinese lives. Such a friendship, forged in blood and fire, will surely live on through the generations.

The handshake between Chairman Mao Zedong and President Richard Nixon set in motion the historic process of normalizing relations between our two countries. The redwood trees that President Nixon had presented as a special state gift have taken root in Zhejiang province, where I worked for several years.

Over 20 years ago, an American named Ronald Sakowski funded Yin Yujin, a Chinese desert control worker, to plant trees. Not long ago, the elderly man returned to China and saw with his own eyes that the desert of the past had turned into a lush forest. This story moved many Chinese people and is an example of friendly exchanges between the peoples of China and the United States. Over 20 years ago, an American named Ronald Sakowski gave financial support to Yin Yujin, a Chinese desert control worker, for her tree-planting effort. Just recently, Ronald, now an elderly man, returned to China. He saw with his own eyes that the desert back then had turned into a lush forest. This story touches the hearts of many Chinese people and stands as a shining example of the friendly exchanges between our two peoples.

Exchanges have helped promote heart-to-heart communication between our people and cemented public support for Sino-U.S. friendship and cooperation.

Chinese modernization continues to open up new horizons. The development goals of both countries are magnificent and can fully achieve mutual success. We should demonstrate the responsibility of major countries, comply with the expectations of the people and the trend of the times, and explore a path for major countries to get along correctly. Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends. Reviewing the past gives us new perspectives. Today, we have come to another historic juncture for China-U.S. relations. President Trump has pledged to make America great again and let the American people make significant strides. China is committed to achieving great national rejuvenation, and Chinese modernization has kept breaking new ground.

Both goals are magnificent and can completely achieve mutual success. As two major countries, China and the United States should comply with the expectations of the people and the trend of the times, and explore a new approach so that major countries can respect each other and live in peace.

The long river of history diverges endlessly and never stands still. The cause of friendship between the peoples of China and the United States has a broad prospect. Let us join hands and move forward side by side, jointly watering the beautiful flowers of China-U.S. friendship and jointly writing a brand-new chapter of China-U.S. friendship. Like a river that never stops flowing, history never stands still. The friendship between the two peoples is a worthy cause that holds great promise. Let us join hands and move forward side by side. Together, let us nurture the beautiful flowers of Sino-U.S. friendship. Together, let us write a new chapter in our friendly relations.

I propose a toast to the health of President Trump and Ms. Melania, to the prosperity and progress of China and the United States, and to the friendship between the two peoples. Cheers! Now I would like to propose a toast to the health of President and Mrs. Trump, to the prosperity and progress of China and the United States, and to the friendship between our two peoples. Cheers! Cheers!

Please invite Mr. Robert Daly on-site and Mr. Akio Yarita online to comment on the speeches made by the heads of state of the US and China at the state banquet tonight. Especially Mr. Robert Daly, Xi Jinping spoke as if he spoke even longer than Trump. Then he talked about history, including the past period when the US and China fought shoulder to shoulder against Japan during World War II, and ping-pong diplomacy, using a small ball to move a big ball. What do you think of Xi Jinping's speech at the White House state banquet tonight?

What Xi Jinping said, compared with Trump—because the Trump we saw today is one of the cutest and most charming Trumps—was spoken quite well. Xi Jinping, on the other hand, is currently rather inarticulate and lacks that charm. He is very steady, his bass voice is quite pleasant, but his voice lacks some power, right? He brings up this history; he often mentions that during World War II, China and the United States cooperated and fought side by side. Yes, I think he mentions these a bit too often; this has already become a cliché. And every time he insists on saying Japanese, Japanese, militarists, it seems like he wants to remind the US that Japan used to be your enemy. Back then it was the US and China confronting Japan, and now time is reversed, he loves talking about these things the most. It's not bad for China to talk like this.

I think both heads of state spoke quite well and appropriately, and they both talked about history to avoid discussing some issues they currently cannot resolve. But what I like most is that Trump reminded them: You always say you have thousands of years of history, but the US as a civilization also has thousands of years. Our cultural genes can be traced back to ancient Greece or the Middle East. Don't think you are the only country with history. I don't know who wrote this either, but it is well-written. President Trump spoke very well, and especially mentioned the different systems between the US and China. Today's speech is actually quite worth reading again.

So, Mr. Xu Yunren, of course there are many points to talk about, but today's program may have limited time. There are two that I find very interesting and want to ask you to talk about, which are particularly suitable. The first is, as you just noticed, who is sitting at the head table of this state banquet?

It's Jensen Huang. Yes, actually at the head table there are just a few tech CEOs from Nvidia who are particularly close to Trump, including Jensen Huang. Sitting next to him is his wife, and next to Jensen Huang's wife is former Apple CEO Tim Cook. Then, on the left, there are also some people from the business community. So you can tell that Trump also wants to show that I can indeed bring some economic prosperity and benefits to China with these tech and business people, something like that. Then this specific guest list is being tracked by Voice of America. However, according to the list currently released by the White House, one thing is very certain: there were no Chinese entrepreneurs at today's White House state banquet.

Let me ask you one more thing quickly. He mentioned Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China and the premier of the Kuomintang. How do you view President Trump mentioning Sun Yat-sen on such an occasion in front of Xi Jinping? Do you think it has any special meaning?

I think for Trump, he may not realize the relationship between Mr. Sun Yat-sen and the Kuomintang. He regards Mr. Sun Yat-sen more as the founding father of the Republic of China, or a founder of the whole of China, such a figure. When he talks about this, we all know the spirit of American entrepreneurs, this pioneering spirit. He especially likes to talk about the Founding Fathers, and he often talks about America's Founding Fathers himself. He uses this way to explain that actually we all started from scratch and pioneered. There are some differences between the two countries at present, but in the process of past achievements, we both have to resist past powers, and then now become a strong country. I don't think he has any hidden meaning in his words; he has none at all. He mainly means from Sun [Yat-sen] to Sun [Yat-sen]—he wants the two Suns, he wants these things. The White House speechwriters are also quite impressive.

Okay, we now also invite Mr. Akio Yarita, who is participating in tonight's special program on the US-China summit via video connection in Taiwan. What do you think of the speeches by President Trump and General Secretary Xi Jinping at the White House state banquet just now, Mr. Akio Yarita?

First, in the past, when relations between Japan and China were very poor, whenever the leaders of both sides met, they would inevitably talk about history—about the Tang or Song dynasties—and then about culture. Because the current reality of politics, diplomacy, economy, and military affairs were all in opposition and at a stalemate, they used history as a breakthrough. Today, we see that President Trump and Xi Jinping have been talking about history and culture, so I think both sides may hope to reach a consensus in this regard. First, history cannot be changed, so there will be a consensus. By strengthening cultural exchanges or youth exchanges, they can find a breakthrough in the relationship between the United States and China, and they hope to reach a consensus in this area as an achievement of Xi Jinping's visit to the United States. I think both sides must have had a tacit understanding beforehand, and both sides' scripts were written this way. Conversely, some specific issues that everyone is more concerned about were not mentioned.

If we still have time in this program, I would like to ask the three guests. However, Mr. Seki Hei, since you joined our program a bit late, let me ask you one more question. Just now, during the state dinner speech, President Trump presented Xi Jinping with a bald eagle, a symbol of the American spirit, soaring freely. In fact, earlier this morning at the White House welcome ceremony, Xi Jinping announced that he would gift a pair of giant pandas to the United States, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, which is like restarting the panda diplomacy of the past. What do you think about the US and China gifting each other giant pandas and bald eagles, which symbolize their respective national spirits? I think the term panda has indeed been used by China for decades to carry out panda diplomacy, and it later became a symbol of Chinese diplomacy. But in the United States and many parts of the world, there is now a "panda hugger" faction, meaning the political significance of the panda is actually very significant. Whether sending pandas now will be as welcomed as in the past, or if there will be some vigilance in the international community and American society, I think that is another matter.

As for the bald eagle, Trump has always emphasized that the bald eagle symbolizes freedom, and he seems to want to place it in China. I think this also has a very strong significance: although engaging with China, the values of American freedom and democracy must be upheld. I think this also reflects what President Trump and his team want to say to China.

Alright, of course, in our special program on the US-China summit today, besides looking at the state dinner menu, commenting on the guests, mentioning the gifts exchanged by both sides, and some diplomatic pleasantries, we need to look at what substantive issues the US-China summit is discussing. In addition to the three guests we have on set today, we also interviewed the Director of the Center on China at the Hudson Institute, who specifically compared the differences between Trump's China policy in his first term and his second term. Let's quickly listen to what Professor Yu Maochun has to say, and then ask the three guests to comment.

I think the US policy toward China, from the first Trump administration through Biden to the present, has had considerable continuity; it is not that there has been a major change. The first administration was, of course, very important. In the first term, like when Trump was in his first term, we changed the entire US strategic positioning toward China, which was to define the CCP as the number one threat to the United States. This is a very significant change. US policy, public sentiment, the economy, politics, and the military have all made major, world-historical changes from this redefined perspective.

This is very important. Afterwards, the Biden administration did not change these basic judgments of ours at all; they also followed this path. Second, its 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 just something the US government needs to convince the American people of; the American people see it very clearly, and Congress even more so; there has been no change whatsoever.

US policy toward China has become more mature and more targeted. Although there is less explicit rhetoric about directly confronting the CCP—President Trump told Xi Jinping that we are good friends and we want to reach a kind of strategic stability—in reality, in the second US administration, everything he does is related to the CCP, because the CCP is indeed the number one threat to the United States.

For example, strengthening homeland security, domestic security, and security in the Western Hemisphere is aimed at China, excluding the CCP's influence from places like the Panama Canal and the Caribbean. Second, in his second term, another policy priority for President Trump is to strengthen deterrence, which is clearly aimed at China.

Third, it is to strengthen so-called burden sharing, which is the relationship with allies. US allies, especially European allies, must strengthen their own defense spending, thereby reducing the burden on the United States and allowing the US to have more energy and financial resources to deal with the CCP. Finally, it is to reorganize the US economy and rebuild the US industrial base. Every key project during Trump's second term is related to China.

Therefore, he is not directly confronting China, but in many areas, there is now technical control. The United States is an innovative country; it has many leading technologies in the world, and it must prevent the CCP from using technologies invented by the United States to deal with the United States.

Alright, since our US-China summit program ends at 8:30 today, I would like to ask the three guests still on set to take about two minutes each to provide a final summary of what we discussed today, whether it be the reception protocol, the substantive issues, or the remarks we just heard at the state dinner. Mr. Robert Daly, could you go first? About two minutes, please.

I think the hospitality Trump showed Xi Jinping this time was very successful, from Xi Jinping's perspective, as you said. But let's not forget that a week ago, Trump said we should not slow down the development of artificial intelligence, because whoever wins in AI wins everything. Yes, whoever wins AI wins the world. Right, so we are not quite sure what that means.

However, as Miles Yu mentioned earlier, there are also quite a few problems with the continuity of our China policy. We absolutely need the support of our allies. He did not mention the attacks and insults Trump has directed at all of America's allies and partners in various aspects, which I think is a very big problem. And don't forget, this is the last point I want to make: he says the US economy is so prosperous, yet today the 10-year US Treasury yield also hit a historical high. So if everything Trump does is to compete with China, he may have some successes, but he also has some significant failures, especially regarding alliance relations.

Alright, Mr. Xu Ren, two minutes.

I see it the same way, meaning that both sides said at the state dinner that they reached many agreements, but what exactly was agreed upon? I think after this show is over, it depends on whether there are any concrete agreements reached moving forward. For example, on artificial intelligence, on risk management, and on the Taiwan issue, whether the readouts from both sides will differ. Usually, the Chinese side will have one, and the US side will have one, and we will look at what was mentioned and what was omitted in between.

So, each side is starting to employ different tactics. After the big show is over, in other areas, we will have to start competing and contending again.

Alright, thank you, Mr. Akio Yaita. You joined our program a bit late, so we hope you can speak a little more—three minutes—to summarize your observations of the entire US-China summit today, whether it was the arrival at Andrews Air Force Base yesterday, the hospitality protocol today, the speeches at the state dinner just now, and what predictions we can make about the specific issues discussed once the White House talks are released.

My impression so far is that US President Trump is trading face for substance. He is willing to give because he knows Xi Jinping cares very much about face. Since you care about face, I will personally go to the airport to greet you, I will give you a red carpet, and I will host a grand welcome dinner; I will make you feel like you have a lot of face, which you can talk about when you return home.

But in reality, regarding the specific issues the US side needs, we have actually been concerned about the US demands on China over the past few years. We often refer to it as "mashed potatoes"—meaning rare earths, soybeans, and fentanyl; these are all things the US wants. Now we see that, first of all, the rare earth issue has at least been put on hold, and mutual trade sanctions have been delayed; at least this issue is temporarily resolved.

As for soybeans, I think if we look at the procurement list in the future, this is not a huge burden for China, but for the US, especially with the election coming up, it should be a relatively good direction for the agricultural regions that support Trump.

Then there is the fentanyl issue, which has plagued US-China relations for many years and is a very important issue. But recently, it has seen a significant—I wouldn't say resolution, but a significant easing. So, President Trump has obtained quite a bit of substance.

As for China's face, for example, the issues China wants, one is the Taiwan issue. China hopes the US can make some concessions on the Taiwan issue, but China will state its position fully, and the US will let you finish speaking, but basically, it will not give you a direct answer.

Another point is the various blockades and sanctions the US has imposed on China in terms of the economy and high-tech; China hopes to open these up, but in this regard, we have not seen any concrete direction so far.

Of course, much of the specific content of their talks has not been reported yet, and the statements have not been fully released. But we will look at a few points to observe in the future: one is US arms sales to Taiwan, which China cares about very, very much, and which is currently in a state of suspension. Whether arms sales to Taiwan will be approved or rejected in the coming period is very important.

Another is in technology, such as chips for China, exports to China—whether these will all be eased, and whether there will be concrete actions regarding China's procurement of US soybeans, agricultural products, and aircraft. Also, whether China will take concrete actions on the Iran issue. Only after we see these points can we formally evaluate whether this US-China summit actually had any results.

Well, we are very grateful to Mr. Shiban Lingfu, Executive Director of the Taiwan Indo-Pacific Strategy Think Tank, for joining us on the program from Taiwan. We are also very grateful to Mr. Da Bo, Director of the China-U.S. Relations Institute at the University of Maryland, for coming to the Voice of America studio in person today. Of course, we also want to thank Mr. Xu Yiren, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, for coming to our U.S. studio today. All three guests have joined our Voice of America special program on the U.S.-China summit, and we thank the three of you very much.

Welcome to VOA Focus today on September 25. I am Fan Dongning, broadcasting live to you from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Every day we are here to take 15 minutes to quickly grasp the latest developments in the U.S. and around the globe. Here is today's focus news.

President Trump held a welcoming ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House; Xi Jinping announced the gift of a pair of giant pandas to the United States; Xi Jinping received a warm welcome at the White House, with mixed reactions from U.S. members of Congress; U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that the U.S. and China have decided to extend the trade truce by two months.

U.S. President Trump held a grand welcoming ceremony at the White House on Thursday for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the two leaders subsequently held talks. Bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress had mixed reactions to Xi Jinping's visit, with some Republican lawmakers supporting high-level engagement and focusing on Taiwan and human rights issues, while Democratic lawmakers focused on the Iran issue and technological competition between the U.S. and China in artificial intelligence. Let's look at the television report from the Voice of America.

On Thursday morning, a red carpet was rolled out on the South Lawn of the White House. U.S. President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed the vehicles of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan to the music of a U.S. armed forces honor guard lineup. After arriving, the two guests took photos with President Trump and the First Lady, capturing this historic moment.

The two U.S. and Chinese leaders subsequently delivered remarks in the entrance hall of the White House State Floor, attended by U.S. cabinet officials and Chinese officials. President Trump said that President Xi Jinping's visit comes as the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, and he will take Xi Jinping and his wife to visit the National Archives to learn about American history. The visit of Xi Jinping and his wife coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

President Trump also emphasized in his speech that the U.S. and China are joining hands to create a better future. It was the encounter between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Chinese people that inspired them to adopt a Chinese word still in use to pay tribute, "Gonghe" (Republic). The Marine Corps used it to express great enthusiasm, but in Chinese, its literal meaning is working together.

President Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Xi Jinping over the years and stated that the two 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 looking back through history, we can achieve a great deal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also mentioned the issue of artificial intelligence in his speech. Both China and the United States are major powers in artificial intelligence, possessing both the capability and the responsibility to properly develop and control artificial intelligence, ensuring that its development remains under human control and benefits the people. Xi Jinping also announced that two giant pandas, Pingping and Fushuang, will arrive at the Atlanta Zoo.

Following the remarks, the two leaders and the First Ladies proceeded to the White House Rose Garden to attend a military review. Following the military review, President Trump and President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks. The two First Ladies visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. This visit lasts three days; in addition to bilateral talks, the heads of state of the two countries will also attend a state banquet. Voice of America reporting from Washington.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington, his wife Peng Liyuan and U.S. First Lady Melania visited the National Museum of Asian Art together. What were the highlights of this cultural itinerary for the two First Ladies? Let's watch a report sent from the scene by Voice of America reporter Xu Xiangyun.

On September 24, Peng Liyuan, the wife of the Chinese President, and U.S. First Lady Melania came together to visit this museum. Accompanied by Chase Robinson, the director of the museum, the two toured the museum's famous Peacock Room. The Peacock Room, imbued with Oriental flair, is a famous work by American artist James McNeill Whistler. The juxtaposition of Asian art and American art in this museum is an important feature of the institution.

The White House stated that Peng Liyuan and Melania will appreciate Asian art together in this museum and learn about cultural exchanges between the U.S. and China. The two subsequently watched a performance by the children's choir of the Hope Chinese School and took photos with the children.

The National Museum of Asian Art consists of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, holding a collection of over 46,000 exhibits spanning from the Bronze Age all the way to modern times.

After visiting the National Museum of Asian Art, the cultural exchange itinerary is not yet over. On Friday, President Trump, First Lady Melania, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, will visit the National Archives. The National Archives houses important documents from the founding era of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Voice of America reporter Xu Xiangyun reporting from Washington.

So, besides the welcoming ceremony at the White House and the First Ladies' cultural visit itinerary in the afternoon, what other activities are there today to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House? Next, we will connect with Voice of America White House reporter Huang Yaoyi, and ask him to introduce it to us live from the scene.

Thank you, Dongning. In fact, right behind me, you can see the U.S. military honor guard lining up in preparation for tonight's state banquet. Later, when the guests arrive, we will see the tri-service honor guard lined up to welcome them in. During tonight's welcoming events—welcoming Peng Liyuan and Xi Jinping at the North Portico—I will also be on site. So as we can see, preparations for the state banquet are already underway tonight.

However, this afternoon, following the bilateral meeting, everyone originally thought Xi Jinping was about to leave. At around 1:00 PM, all the media gathered outside the West Wing of the White House, which is where Xi Jinping's motorcade was parked. Suddenly, the White House called for the media to gather. What happened? Actually, President Trump specifically brought Xi Jinping out of the West Wing office and onto the South Lawn to his newly built helipad. Marine One was parked there, and the two of them looked at Marine One, and even went inside the helicopter.

While on site, some reporters shouted out to ask whether the two of them had discussed Taiwan or Jimmy Lai, but neither President Trump nor Xi Jinping responded. Afterwards, President Trump personally saw Xi Jinping out of the West Wing of the White House. Before Xi Jinping got into his car, the two shook hands and had a brief conversation. The media on site shouted again asking if Taiwan or Jimmy Lai were discussed, but neither of them responded. Currently, we haven't seen the White House release a readout or summary of the conversation between the two, though we have seen some breaking news reports from the Chinese side.

Breaking news released by the Chinese side stated that the two sides did discuss the Taiwan issue. Therefore, Voice of America also asked the White House when the meeting readout would be released and whether the Taiwan issue was discussed in it, but no response has been received from the White House yet. After Xi Jinping's motorcade left, President Trump specifically told the media that he had a great meeting with Xi Jinping.

Alright, taking a minute now, could you talk to us about what you witnessed on site? The Chinese media accompanying Xi's delegation seemed to have some minor conflicts and altercations with the U.S. media and White House Secret Service personnel during today's welcoming ceremony. Please tell us what the situation was like at that time.

Huang Yaoyi: Quickly speaking, yes. We saw that after the Chinese media arrived at the site, they pushed and shoved the U.S. media to take the spots that were supposed to be for the U.S. media, which caused dissatisfaction among the U.S. media. The Secret Service had to intervene, and even officials from the Chinese delegation came over to coordinate with them, eventually allowing the Chinese media to return to their designated positions. Later, at the White House Rose Garden, when the Chinese media came in, they kept climbing up the stands to squeeze everyone, and even one person came straight up and tried to push me away, constantly telling me to go over there, saying to me in English, "Go over there." I told him that if you want to go over there, if you think that place is so good, then you go yourself, and told him to go over there himself. So, such a situation did indeed happen on site.

Alright, we are very grateful to Voice of America White House correspondent Huang Yaoyi for his reporting from the scene. Regarding the upcoming readout from the White House, we also asked Yaoyi to keep us updated.

We continue our live connection with Voice of America correspondent Wang Yuhe outside the White House. Today, he interviewed protesters at Franklin Square around the White House. Let's have Voice of America correspondent Wang Yuhe introduce the latest situation from the scene.

Wang Yuhe: Thank you, Dongning. Today around the White House and in Washington, D.C., there are protests of all sizes. This morning, there was a rally by Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghurs. Right now at Franklin Square where I am located, Tibetans, Taiwanese, Hong Kongers, and Chinese Americans are gathering in the square behind me. They have a rally scheduled for 5:00 PM later, after which some of them will march to the White House, followed by a candlelight vigil tonight.

This Tibetan person standing next to me is very interesting; they walked all the way from New York just because of Xi Jinping being in Washington today. As we know, in July of this year, outside the United Nations headquarters, a Tibetan activist named Lobsang Rabsal self-immolated to express his dissatisfaction with the Chinese government. The person next to me is his niece. Could you please introduce yourself to us?

Choedak Tsultrim: Hello everyone, my name is Choedak Tsultrim, and I am Lobsang Rabsal's niece.

Reporter: May I ask why you wanted to walk all the way here to D.C. from New York today? It's because we have four major demands. First, today the U.S. President and Xi Jinping are meeting, and at this meeting we want to put forward four major demands. First, speak up for Tibetan independence; second, abolish the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress; third, immediately terminate the boarding school system targeting Tibetan children and give Tibetan children the right to live near their parents, as well as the right to learn their native language and traditional customs; fourth, release the 11th Panchen Lama and everyone detained for expressing political and religious beliefs.

Reporter: Could you tell us what impressions you have walking all the way from New York?

Choedak Tsultrim: Our walk this time was led by two Tibetan mothers, with over 20 independent walkers. The purpose of their walk is that previously Lobsang Rabsal was their comrade. Lobsang Rabsal walked many times for Tibetan independence before, and this time it is to commemorate his patriotic heart for Tibet, as well as for our four major demands. We started from in front of the UN in New York, walked from the UN all the way to Philadelphia, and then all the way to D.C.

So this is truly a monumental feat.

Wang Yuhe: We will also report on more rally activities later, Dongning.

Alright, we are very grateful to VOA reporter Wang Yuhe for reporting on the protests outside the White House.

Welcome to the September 25th edition of VOA Focus. I am Fan Dongning, reporting live from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Here are today's top stories: President Trump held a welcome ceremony at the White House for Chinese President Xi Jinping; Xi Jinping announced the gift of a pair of giant pandas to the United States; Xi Jinping received a warm welcome at the White House, though reactions from U.S. members of Congress were mixed; U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that the U.S. and China have decided to extend the trade truce by two months.

U.S. President Trump held a grand welcome ceremony at the White House on Thursday for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the two leaders subsequently held talks. Reactions from both parties in the U.S. Congress to Xi's visit were mixed; some Republican lawmakers supported high-level engagement while focusing on Taiwan and human rights issues, while Democratic lawmakers focused on the Iran issue and the technological competition between the U.S. and China in artificial intelligence.

On Thursday morning, a red carpet was laid out on the South Lawn of the White House. U.S. President Trump and First Lady Melania, accompanied by the music of the U.S. Armed Forces Honor Guard, welcomed the car carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. After the guests arrived, they took photos with President Trump and the First Lady, capturing this historic moment.

Following this, the two leaders 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 celebrates its 250th anniversary, and he would take Xi and his wife to visit the National Archives to learn about American history. In his speech, President Trump emphasized that by working together, the U.S. and China can create a better future.

It was the encounter between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Chinese people that inspired them to adopt a respectful Chinese term that is still in use today. Republican Marines use it to express great enthusiasm, but in Chinese, its literal meaning is 'working together.' President Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Xi over the years and stated that both sides have 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 issue of artificial intelligence in his speech. He said that both China and the U.S. are major powers in artificial intelligence and have the ability and responsibility to develop and manage AI well, ensuring that its development remains under human control and benefits the people. Xi also announced that two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will arrive at the Atlanta Zoo. He said that giant pandas are messengers of friendship between the peoples of China and the U.S., adding: 'Today I want to share some good news. In a few days, giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will settle in the Atlanta Zoo to meet the American people.'

After delivering their speeches, the two leaders and their wives headed to the White House Rose Garden for a military review. Following the military review, President Trump and President Xi 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 attend a state dinner.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington, his wife, Peng Liyuan, and U.S. First Lady Melania visited the National Museum of Asian Art together. What were the highlights of this cultural itinerary for the two First Ladies? Let's look at the report from VOA reporter Xu Xiangyun on the scene.

On September 24, Chinese President's wife Peng Liyuan and U.S. First Lady Melania visited the museum together. Accompanied by museum director Chase Robinson, the two toured the museum's famous Peacock Room. The Peacock Room, with its oriental flair, is a famous work by American artist Whistler. The juxtaposition of Asian art and American art in this museum is one of its key features.

The White House stated that Peng Liyuan and Melania would enjoy Asian art together at the museum and learn about cultural exchanges between the U.S. and China. The two later watched a performance by the Hope Chinese School children's choir and took photos with the children. The National Museum of Asian Art consists of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, housing over 46,000 exhibits spanning from the Bronze Age to the modern era.

After visiting the National Museum of Asian Art, the cultural exchange itinerary was not yet over. On Friday, President Trump and First Lady Melania will join Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to visit the National Archives. The National Archives houses important documents from the founding of the United States, including the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

In addition to the welcome ceremony at the White House and the First Ladies' cultural visit in the afternoon, what other activities were there today to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House? We now connect with VOA White House reporter Huang Yaoyi to introduce the situation on the ground.

Huang Yaoyi: Thank you, Dongning. Actually, as you can see right behind me, the U.S. military honor guard is lining up for tonight's state dinner. When the guests arrive, we will see the honor guard lined up to welcome them. The welcome ceremony tonight will be held at the North Portico to welcome Peng Liyuan and Xi Jinping. I will also be there, so as you can see, preparations for the state dinner are already underway tonight.

However, this afternoon, after the bilateral talks, everyone originally thought that Xi Jinping was about to leave. Around 1:00 PM, all the media gathered outside the West Wing of the White House, where Xi Jinping's motorcade was parked. Suddenly, the White House asked the media to assemble. What happened? In fact, President Trump specifically brought Xi Jinping out of the West Wing office to the newly built helipad on the South Lawn, where Marine One was parked. The two watched Marine One there and even entered the helicopter.

Media on the scene shouted and asked if the two had discussed Taiwan or Jimmy Lai, but neither President Trump nor Xi Jinping responded. Afterward, President Trump personally saw Xi Jinping off from the White House West Wing. Before Xi Jinping got into his car, the two shook hands and had a brief conversation. The media on the scene again shouted to ask if they had discussed Taiwan or Jimmy Lai, but neither of them responded. At present, we have not seen whether the White House has issued a summary of the two's conversation, but we have seen the Chinese side issue some news flashes stating that they did discuss Taiwan.

Therefore, Voice of America also asked the White House when the summary of the talks would be released and whether the Taiwan issue was discussed, but we have not yet received a response from the White House. After Xi Jinping's motorcade left, President Trump also specifically told the media that he had a great meeting with Xi Jinping.

Alright, next, let's take a minute to talk about what you saw on the scene. It seems that the Chinese media accompanying Xi's delegation had some minor conflicts and incidents with the American media and White House Secret Service personnel at the welcome ceremony today. Please tell us what the situation was like at that time.

Huang Yaoyi: Quickly, yes. We saw that after the Chinese media arrived at the scene, they pushed the American media to stand in the positions where the American media should have been, which caused dissatisfaction among the American media. The Secret Service had to intervene, and even officials from the Chinese delegation came to coordinate with them, and finally, the Chinese media returned to their original positions. Later, at the White House Rose Garden, when the Chinese media came in, they kept climbing onto the stands to squeeze everyone. One person even came up and tried to push me away, kept telling me to go over there, and said to me in English, "Go over there." I told him, if you want to go over there, if you think it's good over there, then you go yourself, and told him to go over there himself. So, such a situation did indeed happen on the scene.

We continue to connect with Voice of America reporter Wang Yuhe outside the White House. Today, he interviewed protesters around the White House at Franklin Square. We ask VOA reporter Wang Yuhe to introduce the latest situation from the scene.

Wang Yuhe: Alright, Dongning. Today, there are protests of all sizes around the White House and in the capital, Washington. In the morning, there was a rally by Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghurs. Now, in Franklin Square where I am, Tibetans, Taiwanese, Hong Kongers, and Chinese in the US are gathered in the square behind me. They have a rally at 5:00 PM later, and after that, some people will march to the White House and hold a candlelight vigil in the evening.

The Tibetan I am with now is very interesting; they walked here from New York just because of Xi Jinping's presence in Washington today. We know that in July this year, a Tibetan activist, Lobsang Gyatso, self-immolated outside the UN headquarters to express his dissatisfaction with the Chinese government. The person next to me is his niece. Could you please introduce yourself?

Xiao Lang Quzhen: Hello everyone, my name is Xiao Lang Quzhen, and I am Lobsang Gyatso's niece.

Reporter: May I ask why you wanted to walk from New York to DC today? It is because we have four major demands. First, today the US President and Xi Jinping are meeting, and at the meeting, we want to put forward four major demands. First, speak up for Tibet's independence; second, abolish the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress; third, immediately terminate the boarding school system for Tibetan children, give Tibetan children the right to live with their parents, and also have the right to learn their mother tongue and their traditional customs; fourth, release the 11th Panchen Lama and all those detained for expressing their political and religious beliefs.

Reporter: Can you tell us what your thoughts are after walking all the way from New York?

Xiao Lang Quzhen: Our walk this time was led by two Tibetan mothers, with more than 20 independent walkers. The purpose of their walk is that Lobsang Gyatso was their comrade before. Lobsang Gyatso had walked for Tibet's independence many times before. This time it is to commemorate his patriotic heart for Tibet, and also for the four major demands. We started from in front of the United Nations in New York, from the United Nations all the way to Philadelphia, and then all the way to DC.

So this is really a feat.

Wang Yuhe: We will report more on the rally activities later, Dongning.

Alright, we are very grateful to VOA reporter Wang Yuhe for interviewing the protesters outside the White House.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent stated that the US and China have agreed to extend the trade truce for two months, with the deadline extended from the original November 10 to January 10 next year. Bessent stated that the extension will buy more time for both sides to continue negotiations on possible measures in the economic field. Currently, this trade truce agreement involves key issues such as tariffs, fentanyl precursors, soybean procurement, and rare earth export controls.

Bessent announced the news on Wednesday evening, shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews for a state visit. President Trump held bilateral talks with Xi at the White House on Thursday, and the trade truce is expected to be a core issue of the US-China summit. Treasury Secretary Bessent also revealed that both sides may announce new arrangements regarding financial services and agricultural product procurement. Previously, US Trade Representative Greer stated that differences still remained between the two sides regarding the extension clauses. Therefore, whether this meeting between the two heads of state can push the trade truce to further translate into a broader economic agreement has also attracted widespread attention.

US President Trump said during a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on September 24 that he would discuss pressing issues such as security, technology, and superintelligence with Xi. He stated that the decisions made by both sides in these areas today will have a profound impact on peace and prosperity for decades to come and even longer. He also emphasized US-China cooperation, meaning working hand in hand to create a better future together.

Earlier, Trump held a welcoming ceremony for Xi at the White House, after which the two sides delivered speeches in the White House grand foyer. Xi is the first Chinese leader to make a second state visit to the United States. In his speech, President Trump highly praised his personal friendship with Xi. He said, "Since I was first elected in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a deep friendship, a truly great friendship. This friendship is built on mutual respect and the shared interests of our two peoples. We have met all over the world, from Germany to Argentina, from Japan to South Korea, from Beijing to Palm Beach, Florida."

He touched upon the progress achieved in their May meeting. He said, "During my last visit to China last May, we jointly established the US-China Trade Council. This is a brand-new mechanism that has achieved remarkable success. Our teams have been working tirelessly to promote a more balanced trade relationship, including providing new market access for American farmers and ranchers." He expressed, "If we focus on our shared interests, I believe we can make history and achieve fruitful results."

In his speech, Trump mentioned past examples of US-China cooperation to defend shared interests. He specifically noted that during World War II, American volunteer pilots went to China to form the Flying Tigers, helping China resist Japanese aggression. Using the term "Gung-Ho"—still in use in English and derived from the Chinese term—he illustrated the friendship between the peoples of the US and China. "Gung-Ho" is the abbreviation for industrial cooperatives and also means working together, referring to a civilian industrial cooperative movement that emerged in China during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The US Marine Corps adopted "Gung-Ho" as an expression of great enthusiasm, meaning working together.

Trump stated that Xi's visit coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. "Tomorrow we will visit the National Archives to view some of the greatest treasures of that proud history, including the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights," President Trump said. "Just as our two peoples joined hands to win that war, President Xi and I will continue to work hand in hand to create a brighter future for our two countries."

In his speech, Xi first extended warm congratulations on the 250th anniversary of American independence, while also expressing the willingness of China and the US to work hand in hand. He said, "We must cooperate sincerely. The interests of China and the US are deeply intertwined, and the space for cooperation is extremely vast. Although China-US cooperation cannot solve every problem in the world, without cooperation between the two countries, many problems in the world will be difficult to solve."

He also mentioned the cooperation between China and the US during World War II. "China and the US stood shoulder to shoulder to fight against fascist aggression. The Chinese people will not forget this history, nor have the American people forgotten it." Xi also mentioned people-to-people exchanges between China and the US, announcing that the Chinese side will invite 100,000 American youth to China for exchanges and study over the next five years, and stated that the giant pandas "Pingping" and "Fushuang" will settle in the Atlanta zoo in a few days.

President Trump said at the official welcoming ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping that since he was first elected in 2016, he and President Xi have forged a deep friendship, a truly great friendship. This friendship is built on mutual respect and the shared interests of the two peoples. Trump said he would discuss pressing issues such as security, technology, and superintelligence with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that their decisions in these areas can promote peace and prosperity for decades to come.

President Trump said, "Working hand in hand, President Xi and I have made tremendous progress on the many issues facing our two countries. During my visit to China this May, we jointly established the US-China Trade Council. This is a brand-new mechanism that has achieved remarkable success. Our teams have been working tirelessly to promote a more balanced trade relationship, including providing new market access for American farmers and ranchers. During this visit, we will also discuss cross-cultural issues concerning security, technology, and superintelligence. The decisions we make in these areas today will have a profound impact on peace and prosperity for decades to come and even longer."

US President Donald Trump's summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on September 24 has sparked widespread reactions.

Listen to Voice of America's report: Xi arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, where President Trump greeted him in person. A day later, Trump held a grand welcoming ceremony at the White House to greet Xi for his state visit.

Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday night that he would advise Trump not to invite Xi Jinping for such a grand welcome. He urged President Trump to remember that his guest is a brutal, unelected, and oppressive dictator. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded that the visit reflects President Trump's recognition that, despite differences, China is one of the world's largest economic and military powers, and U.S.-China relations will determine the trajectory of the 21st century.

Rubio said, "To think that we would not engage with them at the highest levels is irresponsible and absurd. We must do it."

Democratic lawmakers, in their reactions to Xi's visit, primarily focused on the conflict with Iran and technology issues. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor that if we want to end this war, we need to cut off external support for Iran to continue fighting, which must start with China. Iran not only relies on satellite imagery from China to attack Americans, but China also provides a crucial economic lifeline to Iran. Beijing has denied providing military support to Iran.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that the United States must maintain its leading position in artificial intelligence by restricting China's access to our technology, and establish guardrails to reduce the risks of artificial intelligence. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and three other Republican senators urged the administration in a letter to push forward with arms sales to Taiwan.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expressed solidarity with Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States based in Washington. Leiter's son was seriously injured in a Palestinian car-ramming attack in the West Bank on September 23. Israeli authorities said a Palestinian attacker drove a car into a group of Israeli police officers and soldiers on duty at a West Bank checkpoint on Highway 443. The road connects Israel's capital, Jerusalem, and Ramallah.

Authorities said Neria Leiter, the son of the Israeli ambassador, was performing military reserve duty at the checkpoint when he was struck by the vehicle and seriously injured. Security personnel shot and killed the attacker as he fled the wrecked vehicle. Neria Leiter's older brother, Moshe, was killed in Gaza in November 2023 while Israel was counterattacking Hamas terrorists who had invaded from Palestinian territory a month earlier.

Tal Naim, a spokesperson for Ambassador Leiter, wrote on X that Leiter was in New York preparing for media interviews regarding the United Nations General Assembly when he learned about the attack that injured his son. He told Voice of America that Leiter had originally planned to accompany Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, but instead departed for Israel.

Officials said on September 24 that overnight Russian strikes killed at least eight civilians in Ukraine, and United Nations diplomats are discussing how to end the war. Prosecutors said a Russian missile hit a vegetable storage facility on a farm in Stara Hnidylivka, Kharkiv Oblast, killing six workers and injuring 12 others while they were packaging agricultural produce. The local village head said Russia launched two strikes, the first hitting a road and the second hitting the warehouse.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the strikes killed two people and injured eight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that the primary target of their attacks once again was Kyiv and civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, maternity hospitals, energy infrastructure, and logistics facilities. He said Washington has an opportunity to make a strong response. "We need ballistic interceptors to protect lives."

Russia's Ministry of Defense said its forces struck drone production facilities, telecommunication centers, and logistics hubs in the Kyiv and Odesa regions. Moldovan President Maia Sandu said four Russian drones crossed the border into Moldova, with at least one exploding. Romania stated that a drone crashed within its territory. Poland stated that it scrambled aircraft twice on Thursday.

U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz condemned in the strongest terms any attempts to expand the war at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, stating that violating neighboring airspace, including NATO airspace, creates risks that no party present can afford to take lightly. "It's not a matter of winning or losing; all parties are losing, the world is losing." Waltz also warned against any attacks threatening the free flow of global food markets.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the same meeting that Moscow is ready for negotiations on a lasting peace, but ruled out stopping the fighting. Using Moscow's term for the war, he said, "Our special military operation will not be paused." He said European countries want a pause simply to supply weapons to the Kyiv regime.

UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council that the war is entering a dangerous new phase. More civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine in the first eight months of this year than in the entire year of 2025. Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday night, Zelenskyy warned Moscow that if an energy ceasefire cannot be reached, Ukraine will retaliate. "Ukrainians understand that this winter could be very difficult for us," he said. "But in response, we have no choice but to make Russia feel the pain as well."

He has repeatedly described Turkey as "patient zero" in this war, stating that Ukraine is prepared to achieve a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea based on proposals from Egypt, India, and Turkey. He said, "We are waiting for Russia's response." Kremlin spokesman Peskov reiterated Moscow's demand for a comprehensive solution rather than a pause. He told reporters on Thursday, "We believe it is necessary to seek peace, not a temporary ceasefire."

On September 21, Representative John Moolenaar, Chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, and Democratic Representative Tom Suozzi led the introduction of a resolution calling on the Trump administration to prioritize the immediate and unconditional release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas, on the 8th anniversary of her forced disappearance by the Chinese government.

This resolution is titled "Commemorating the 8th Anniversary of the Unjust Imprisonment of Dr. Gulshan Abbas by the Government of the People's Republic of China." The resolution notes that Abbas is a retired Uyghur doctor, a mother, and a grandmother. She was forcibly disappeared by the government of the People's Republic of China on September 10, 2018.

The resolution points out that five days before her disappearance, her sister, U.S. citizen Rushan Abbas, exercised her right to free speech by participating in a public event at the Hudson Institute in Washington, where she criticized the People's Republic of China's treatment of Uyghurs. The resolution states that Dr. Abbas had no known history of political activity, and her disappearance is widely understood as retaliation for the advocacy and speech of her family members in the United States. The resolution calls this an especially egregious form of transnational repression.

According to the resolution, in March 2019, following a secret trial, Dr. Abbas was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of participating in a terrorist organization, assisting in terrorist activities, and gathering a crowd to disrupt social order. Her family only learned of her sentencing approximately 21 months after the secret trial.

The resolution notes that the government of the People's Republic of China has implemented systematic repression against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, including arbitrary detention, forced labor, coercive population control measures, family separation, and restrictions on religious activities and cultural expression.

It also mentions that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention considers the detention of Dr. Abbas to be arbitrary and in violation of multiple articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The U.S. Congress has repeatedly condemned the detention of Dr. Abbas and called for her release. The resolution calls on China to immediately and unconditionally release Dr. Abbas so she can reunite with her family, and urges President Trump to prioritize the immediate release of Dr. Abbas in his engagements with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese officials.

Among the three major stock indices on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.31%, the S&P 500 fell 0.02%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite rose 0.01%.

As the U.S.-China leadership summit takes place, several Republican senators in the U.S. Congress are urging the Trump administration to provide billions of dollars in security assistance to Taiwan as soon as possible. Meanwhile, several bipartisan members of Congress told Voice of America that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed, and supporting Taiwan's ability to maintain its own defense remains an important issue for Washington.

Senior Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, leading a group of Republican senators, sent a letter on September 23 to Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of War Hegseth, calling on the executive branch to release billions of dollars in foreign military financing for Taiwan as soon as possible. Republican senators who signed the letter include John Cornyn of Texas, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

In the two-page letter, the lawmakers stated: "We are writing to express our concern regarding the following: the State Department's plan not to utilize the $300 million in Foreign Military Financing appropriated by Congress for Taiwan in fiscal year 2026; the Department of Defense's failure to utilize the $1 billion appropriated for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative in fiscal year 2026; and the current administration's decision to withhold approval of a $14 billion foreign military sales package for Taiwan."

McConnell, 84, is the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. In the letter, the lawmakers expressed concern over President Trump's description of Taiwan earlier this year as "a good bargaining chip." After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, Donald Trump had stated that the Taiwan issue was part of the negotiations between the U.S. and China. Currently, a $14 billion arms sale package to Taiwan remains pending approval.

the lawmakers also stated that, taken individually, the fact that this aid is being delayed or denied is testing the strength of our security partnership, which you have described as vital. Taken together, despite your assurances earlier this year that the Taiwan issue would not be on the table during President Trump's talks with Xi Jinping, this still raises serious concerns about the firmness of the U.S. commitment to key partners and allies in Asia and globally.

When asked about arms sales to Taiwan during an interview with the media while attending the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Secretary of State Rubio said that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are constrained to some extent by potential military needs in other parts of the world and the defense industrial base. Rubio also mentioned that the Trump administration completed the largest single arms sale to Taiwan in history last December.

As the US-China leadership summit approaches, whether Washington's policy toward Taiwan will change has drawn attention from all sectors. In this regard, several bipartisan lawmakers told Voice of America that they believe the US policy toward Taiwan has not changed, that support for Taiwan's defense remains crucial, and that a bipartisan consensus has been formed.

Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives from Florida and co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, said in an exclusive interview with Voice of America on Tuesday that despite many partisan divisions within the US Congress, there has always been strong bipartisan support for the Taiwan issue.

Republican Senator Rick Scott from Florida told Voice of America that he believes the Trump administration's policy toward Taiwan has not changed and called on President Trump to clearly reiterate Washington's position when meeting with Xi Jinping. John Moolenaar, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives from Michigan and chair of the House Select Committee on the CCP, told Voice of America that the military support President Trump is currently providing to Taiwan exceeds the level during the Biden administration, and that the US policy toward Taiwan has not changed.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for a state visit to the United States, two US House committees sent letters to the executive branch requesting investigations into several non-profit organizations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On September 22, John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on the CCP, and Jason Smith, the Republican chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, jointly wrote to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IRS Commissioner Frank Bisignano, demanding that both departments take action to stop the CCP's efforts to undermine the United States.

The joint letter stated: "We are writing to express our concern that the Chinese Communist Party is conducting an influence operation aimed at undermining the construction of artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States." The House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing this February on the influence of foreign powers on the US tax-exempt sector. Committee Chair Smith also wrote to The People's Forum, Breakthrough News, and the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, requesting relevant documents and raising serious questions about their tax-exempt status in the United States.

These organizations are alleged to be part of a network of non-profit organizations funded by Neville Roy Singham, a US tech tycoon residing in China with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The development of artificial intelligence in the United States requires the construction of many data centers across the country, but this is a highly controversial issue. Residents near many proposed data center sites have expressed strong opposition to the new construction. There are rumors that behind the wave of opposition to new data centers lies the funding and support of these CCP-linked non-profit organizations.

In early April of this year, the House Ways and Means Committee and the Select Committee jointly wrote to the US Treasury Department and the IRS, requesting an investigation into tax-exempt organizations that violate the Internal Revenue Code's prohibition on political campaign intervention by acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party to interfere in US elections and politics. The joint letter pointed out that recent reports revealing evidence of China's attempts to interfere—and in some cases, successful interference—in discussions related to US data center construction are not surprising.

OpenAI discovered two batches of ChatGPT accounts originating from China, highly likely to be bot farms or automated account clusters, which were banned for conducting covert influence operations targeting the debate on US artificial intelligence policy. The joint letter cited an independent report from the Bitcoin Policy Institute showing that the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) launched 21 campaigns across 14 states, resulting in 10 moratoriums on data centers, one permanent ban, and the rejection or cancellation of four data center projects.

Behind the PSL is a network of non-profit organizations established by Neville Roy Singham, who is based in China and aligns with the Chinese Communist Party's stance. He has used the tax-exempt mechanism established by Congress to encourage US philanthropy to funnel $278 million to US advocacy groups through shell companies and an anonymous donor-advised fund. The joint letter noted: "Our tax code should not be a cover for foreign funds to wage a disinformation war against US artificial intelligence infrastructure. This is another shocking and dangerous example of how malicious foreign actors can funnel funds into the United States to advance the interests of the Chinese Communist Party."

The joint letter stated that the American public has the right to know which actors hostile to the United States are attempting to undermine decision-making processes and influence the direction of infrastructure development by funding policy advocacy activities and spreading disinformation. President Trump will hold talks with the visiting Xi Jinping on Thursday. Trump stated that he will discuss artificial intelligence with Xi and indicated that while the United States currently leads China in the AI race, it must maintain this advantage.

Well, at the end of the program, let's look at a bill passed by the Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee on September 1. The bill requires a national security review of robots manufactured by China and other foreign adversaries and prohibits the import of robots found to pose a threat into the United States. This bill is called the "Guard Against Robot Domination Act," abbreviated as the Guard Act, meaning the act to defend.

This bill was introduced on a bipartisan basis this June by Representative John Moolenaar, a Republican from Michigan and chair of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party; Republican Representative Jay Obernolte from California; and Democratic Representative Jennifer McClellan from Virginia. The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, American humanoid robotics companies, as well as the think tanks Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Drop Lok Project, all expressed support for the legislation.

The bill directs national security agencies to review humanoid and quadruped robots manufactured by adversaries and conduct national security risk assessments on them. Products determined to pose an unacceptable national security risk will be placed on the Federal Communications Commission's covered list, thereby banning such machines from entering the United States. The bill also stipulates that products for which reviews are not completed within one year will be automatically added to this list.