The two leaders and their wives attended a state dinner, a black-tie affair of sesame-crusted sea bass and a guest list heavy with tech CEOs. Outside the gate, a group of loud protesters shouted slogans like "China out of Hong Kong" that were clearly audible to the leaders as they posed for pictures on the red-carpeted White House steps.

Trump presented Xi with a gift of a custom-made statue of a bald eagle -- the national symbol of the United States. Guests dined on yellow squash veloute, sesame crusted sea bass, and vanilla cremeux with White House honey ice cream.

The 80-year-old US president invited guests to tour the building site of his new $400 million ballroom after the dinner, saying: "In honor of you, you'll be the first people to step foot on that."

While business was on the menu at the state dinner, expectations of any major breakthroughs from Xi's visit are low.

One minor success -- the extension of a trade truce by two months until January -- was less than the two years that the Chinese had been hoping for.

Instead, the visit was more about spectacle than substance, with the pomp helping to smooth over the tensions that divide the world's two top economies.

A formal welcome on the White House South Lawn launched Thursday's events, before Trump and Xi inspected a military parade on the newly paved-over Rose Garden.

American military jets -- including a B-2 bomber of the type that bombed Iranian nuclear facilities last year -- then staged a flyover as US and Chinese flags flew over the West Wing.

As they began talks in the Oval Office, Trump joked that the Chinese had the friendliest press corps.

His comment came days after he barred outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House -- although they returned on Thursday after a court order.

In his dinner toast, Trump said he and Xi "both understand we represent different systems but the ties between our people endure and we’ve never gotten along better."

Xi said he and Trump had in-depth discussions and reached "common understanding on many issues" that provided "new strategic guidance for China-US relations." He did not elaborate.

"China and the United States must act as responsible major countries," he said, calling for "a new approach for major countries to get along with each other."

The meeting was striking for where it took place – in Washington, even as scores of world leaders were in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. 

It took place at a time of rising public concern about the swift growth of AI, and as Trump struggles to resolve a war his administration and Israel began with Iran, which has sharply driven up energy prices and weighed heavily on his public approval as November midterm elections approach.

During a bilateral discussion in the afternoon, Xi urged the US to oppose "Taiwan independence," according to a readout from the official Chinese news agency – addressing one of the thorniest issues between the two countries. The White House has not yet provided its own summary of the talks.

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