Trump and Xi Visit National Archives Before Summit Ends

Chinese President Xi Jinping is leaving the United States today, though he will make one last stop before heading home. That destination is the National Archives.

First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump are set to welcome Madame Peng Liyuan and President Xi for morning tea in the White House Red Room. The couples will then travel together to the archives. There, officials say they will view a collection of records vital to understanding the history between America and China. Once that viewing is done, Trump will see Xi off. This whirlwind two-and-a-half-day summit has been marked by heavy tension from start to finish.

The National Archives holds some of the most sacred papers in American history, including the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.

THE TRUMP-XI SUMMIT MUST DELIVER RESULTS THAT PROVE AMERICAN STRENGTH

Leaders met at the White House on Thursday morning. The day opened with a formal arrival ceremony featuring military honors, a troop review, national anthems for both nations, and a flyover by a B-2 stealth bomber flying in formation with four fighter jets. A frenzied mix of foreign and domestic press scurried across the grounds trying to catch a glimpse of Trump and Xi. The Chinese leader does not visit this part of the world often.

Talks between the two heads of state lasted from late morning until early afternoon, spanning several hours. They also held private conversations behind closed doors in the Oval Office. Afterward, Trump walked Xi out to the South Lawn where they looked at Marine One and inspected the new helipad it sits upon.

They toured the ballroom, which is currently under construction, and Trump showed Xi the Presidential Walk of Fame outside the West Wing. That display features headshots of past presidents. Trump replaced Biden's image with an autopen machine, a direct jab at his repeated attacks on how the former president used that device while in office. Footage shared on social media shows both men laughing at that specific installation.

Protests against what they call Chinese oppression could be heard outside the White House gates throughout the day of meetings. The demonstrations dragged into the evening. Chants like "Free Hong Kong," "Xi Jinping, you're not welcome," and cries for freedom for political prisoners sometimes drowned out the state dinner inside the White House, Fox News Digital reported.

A White House official told Fox News Digital before the visit that Trump planned to push for a wide-ranging deal on tariff reductions for non-strategic goods during this meeting with Xi. That same source said leaders would discuss rare-earth exports and possible export controls. The official noted Trump expected China to do more to stop the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals.

Trump called the meeting "great" but offered no further details and refused to take questions from the press all day.

China will send two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to Zoo Atlanta under a conservation agreement Xi announced. He also invited 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchange programs and study over the next five years.

Xi left the White House grounds for several hours after the meeting but came back in time for a state dinner that officially began at 8:00 p.m.

Donald Trump raised a glass to wish peace and prosperity for both countries at the start of the dinner. The room filled with members of the second family, Cabinet officials alongside their spouses, and heavy hitters from banking and tech sectors. Meanwhile, news breaks that Chinese leader Xi is getting China ready for battle as an expert sounds the alarm over grave dangers facing America before a summit in Washington D.C.

The guest list read like a who's who of American artificial intelligence leadership. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos sat among them. SpaceX founder and former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, was also there. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, and Apple Board of Directors Chairman Tim Cook all showed up for the event.

It stands out that American AI leaders were present at such a gathering. The technology itself is a major flashpoint in this summit. China and the United States are racing right now to claim dominance in the field.