Xi invites 100,000 young Americans to China as he and Trump seek closer ties

• Xi Jinping invited 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchanges and study over the next five years

• Trump described Thursday’s talks as a “great meeting”, though no breakthrough was reported on Iran

• Xi urged the US to oppose Taiwanese independence, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday announced that China would invite 100,000 young Americans for exchanges and study over the next five years, making the offer during his visit to the White House.

“The hope of China-US relationship lies in our people, and its future lies with the young,” Xi said. The new invitation follows a 2023 initiative to bring 50,000 young Americans to China over five years. That target was reached this year, ahead of schedule.

On the second day of Xi’s three-day US visit, both leaders spoke warmly about the relationship between their countries. President Donald Trump told reporters they had held a “great meeting”, but gave no further details.

Xi said the two countries should avoid a conflict between an established power and a rising one. Their competition, he said, should be “healthy” and “kept within bounds”. He also suggested that their national ambitions could coexist: “Achieving the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation and making America great again can go hand in hand.”

Both presidents drew on the countries’ shared history during the Second World War. Xi recalled Chinese and American forces fighting together, while Trump praised the American volunteer pilots known as the Flying Tigers, who fought in China.

The cordial public remarks came amid continuing disagreements over trade, Taiwan and the war involving the US, Israel and Iran. No breakthrough on Iran was reported after Thursday’s talks. Xi expressed support for the US and Iran returning to an interim agreement intended to lead to a wider peace deal; that truce had broken down shortly after it was announced in June.

Taiwan also featured in the discussions. Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that Xi urged Trump to oppose Taiwanese independence and handle the issue “prudently”. The White House had not released its own account of the talks or Xi’s remarks on Taiwan.

Xi’s reception in Washington drew criticism from lawmakers in both parties. Republican Senator Roger Wicker questioned the decision to give him a lavish welcome, while Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen criticised Trump’s approach to the Chinese leader. Republican Senator Rand Paul welcomed the talks, writing: “Diplomacy is key. Talk more, war less.”

The exchange initiative was the clearest new commitment announced publicly on Thursday. Wider questions about security, technology and the two countries’ competing interests remained in the background as Xi’s visit continued.

With agency inputs