Donald Trump is due to take Xi Jinping to the US National Archives on Friday, a day after their White House summit. The visit is expected to spotlight their views on the history and direction of US-China ties; Thursday’s summit showed no sign of major breakthroughs.
Trump said the leaders would see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, along with artifacts tied to US-China relations and cultural exchanges. He cited what he described as increased market access for US farmers and ranchers under a bilateral trade mechanism; both leaders identified AI as an area for cooperation.
Xi pressed Trump on Taiwan, urging the US to handle the issue “with prudence”; China’s state news agency said Xi hoped Washington would adhere to a position opposing Taiwan independence. The administration approved an $11 billion arms-sale package for Taiwan in December, and Trump said after a May summit that a second package, worth about $14 billion, was being held in abeyance. Senate Democrats criticized him for not publicly addressing China’s military pressure on Taiwan and called for approved aid and arms sales to be delivered.
