US President Donald Trump has welcomed Chinese premier Xi Jinping to the White House for a state visit, marking the Chinese leader's first trip to the United States in a decade.

The official reception in Washington featured an elaborate military display alongside a lavish formal programme. Trump used the occasion to focus heavily on his personal rapport with his Chinese counterpart, publicly hailing what he described as a "truly great friendship" forged between the two men.

However, the arrival proceedings were swiftly overshadowed by a dispute over media access on the South Lawn. Journalists from CNN, Politico and MS Now were initially barred under a White House media ban, despite a court ruling ordering that they be admitted. At the same time, writers and photographers from China's state-run media were allowed in, leading to a scrum where Chinese reporters pushed American press out of the way. The White House eventually complied with the judge's order, but not until after the arrival ceremony was over.

Substantive talks between the two leaders covered a slate of difficult bilateral issues, though expectations of major diplomatic breakthroughs remained low. The agenda for the summit included unresolved trade rows, the war in Iran, and the global race over artificial intelligence.

Both sides entered the bilateral meetings with specific demands. Trump is seeking to persuade Beijing to use its influence with Iran, while Xi is pressing for a halt to US arms sales to Taiwan.

On technology, neither government is eager to impose strict regulatory limits or safeguards on the development of AI, which Trump has referred to as "Super Intelligence". Setting out his position on Truth Social prior to the meeting, Trump wrote: "Super Intelligence (SI) will be a big topic of discussion. But I want to leave it exactly where it is. That is China's position also. Our guardrail is the [Department of Justice]!"

During opening remarks alongside aides, Trump continued to highlight their bilateral ties. "From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people," he said.

Xi offered a more pointed assessment of the relationship, observing that Chinese and American interests are "deeply intertwined". He insisted that "competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds", repeating a warning he previously delivered during Trump's visit to Beijing in May about avoiding the "Thucydides trap" — the theory that conflict often erupts when a rising power challenges an established one. Xi added: "It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses."

Xi also unveiled two major goodwill gestures during the trip. China will invite 100,000 American youth to the country for studies and exchange programmes over the next five years, and is sending two pandas to the zoo in Atlanta as an "envoy of friendship", with the animals expected to meet the public in a "few days."

The state visit concluded with a formal banquet at the White House, where guests were served a menu of Yellow Squash Velouté, Sesame Crusted Sea Bass, Vanilla Cremeux and White House Honey Ice Cream.

What we do not know yet is whether this personal diplomacy will yield any tangible shifts on security policy, arms sales, or trade disputes once both delegations review the talks. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.