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Trump Shows Xi Jinping Ballroom

Trump's White House ballroom tour for Xi drew criticism amid talks on trade, AI and Taiwan.

from 33 sourcesUpdated Sep 24, 9:06pm ET

What happened

President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House for a state visit with talks, ceremony and a state dinner. Xi’s first White House visit in more than a decade came as the countries faced disputes over trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, Iran and strategic power. Trump and Xi praised their personal ties, while Xi urged stable competition and AI kept “under human control.” Trump said AI would be a major topic but did not favor new limits. He also showed Xi a new granite helipad and the planned ballroom site. Core questions remained unresolved after the meetings.

From the left

Left-leaning outlets cast the visit as pageantry that softened scrutiny of Xi while leaving hard policy fights unsettled. The Atlantic framed Trump’s praise as deference to an authoritarian rival, saying U.S. interests were pushed aside by his admiration of dictators. Al Jazeera stressed the deeper rivalry beneath the ceremony. The Los Angeles Times centered Xi’s AI warning about human control.

From the right

Right-leaning outlets treated the summit as friendly statecraft and a test of leverage with Beijing. The New York Post leaned into Trump as a warm host, calling him “charmer-in-chief” during the visit. Deseret News emphasized bargaining over artificial intelligence and cooperation after a trade truce. Epoch Times framed pandas and student exchanges as soft power. Fox News highlighted protests over Chinese repression.

Headlines

how each side wrote it
The New York TimesTrump Hosts China’s Leader for a State Visit

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