Xi visits Washington with pageantry, little progress

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington has so far featured ceremonial pageantry but yielded little substantive progress on pressing issues, with formal talks still underway. The summit has emphasized "positive vibes" rather than concrete agreements. President Donald Trump hosted Xi with full honors, including a military air base welcome and White House arrival ceremony. Xi announced gifts of pandas and a student exchange program, while both leaders exchanged warm remarks. Trump listed security, technology, and "superintelligence" as discussion topics, though analysts note the pageantry may be intentional to project stability. Significant obstacles remain, including a two-month extension of the trade truce, stalled agricultural and rare earth deals, and a proposed US weapons sale to Taiwan. On AI, the US focuses on existential risks while China prioritizes acceleration. A state dinner with American AI executives is planned, with Xi departing Friday afternoon.