Xi Visit Shows the Potential for a New Outlook in Thinking

Sept. 24, 2026 (EIRNS)—During his joint press conference at the White House with President Donald Trump on Sep. 24, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave the following formulation: While cooperation between the U.S. and China “may not solve every problem in the world,” without it, “it would be hard to solve many of the world’s problems.” This truthful remark was important for President Trump to hear, who, despite presiding over a breathtaking and glamorous state visit honoring the Chinese leader, was struggling to understand the significance the event itself held.

The visit began with the almost unprecedented greeting of President Xi by Trump and First Lady Melania at Andrews Air Force Base, marking the first time a sitting U.S. President greeted a visiting head of state at the airport in over 60 years. The pair then held a joint ceremony, presided over a military troop review in the Rose Garden, held high-level talks in the Oval Office, and enjoyed a lavish state dinner at the White House.

But this is the same Donald Trump who, two days earlier during his remarks to the UN General Assembly, had threatened to “annihilate” Iran, dismissed the very concept of cooperation in favor of the law of the jungle, and expressed the notion of “to the winner, the spoils,” as could be seen in the case of Venezuela.

Xi wrote in a statement released on the eve of his visit: “China and the United States should be partners, not rivals”—the very phrase and concept which Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had just agreed to during their meeting at the BRICS Summit. “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand,” Xi added, and later proclaimed at the White House that “the Thucydides trap can be overcome.” Trump, for his part, said that he and Xi had “forged a friendship… built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people.” He referenced the U.S.-China alliance to defeat fascism during World War II, and noted: “Just as our people worked together to win that war, President Xi and I will continue working together to forge a better future for both of our nations.”

As far as it goes, the visit exemplifies the potential collaboration between the two countries—arguably one of the most consequential relationships in the world today. However, while Xi’s actions have followed his words, Trump’s actions have not yet followed his.

Led by London, European and Western nations are pledging more and more support to Ukraine in a dangerous escalation toward all-out war with Russia. And the U.S. itself recently passed the Lindsey Graham Sanctions Act that will punish other nations for even trading with Russia. In addition, a dangerous rearmament is ongoing throughout Europe that is setting the stage for new and future conflicts. The UK is now joining in the Trump administration’s initiative of weaponizing space, and is forming a special squadron in the Royal Air Force for the purposes of “disrupting, degrading, and denying enemy activity… in space.” “This century will depend on control of space,” British Defense Minister Wes Streeting said.

At the same time, the British have their strategic allies in the U.S. who are hell-bent on stopping any cooperation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, at a Sep. 23 press conference alongside Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren, Andy Kim and Elissa Slotkin: “Trump is handing China the technology it needs to win the AI race.” All four senators demanded Trump stop further advanced semiconductor exports to China, and insisted China be held accountable for assisting Iran in the current war. Slotkin said watching Trump welcome Xi to the White House “is really difficult.”

This is not the view of China, nor of the growing portion of the world which is increasingly rejecting the failed unipolar model in favor of a new global architecture. As Helga Zepp-LaRouche put it in her weekly webcast on Sep. 23, there is a “whole group of nations rallying around a new principle, and that is the idea of partnership, of diplomacy, of coexistence, of the idea that the new name for peace is development, and to rule out war as a means of conflict resolution by basically saying that only diplomacy and negotiations are legitimate.” And between the approach of the defenders of the unipolar order, she remarked, “there seems to be a widening gap.”

It is now an urgent necessity to put this perspective on the table, and to mobilize awareness within the nations of the West that such an alternative option exists. The UN General Assembly this week offers an excellent opportunity in that regard. Tune in to Friday’s meeting of the International Peace Coalition, which will take up these questions in more depth.