China proposed a range of exchange events ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States, including meetings with business executives and university students, but Washington did not accept them, according to a report.
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported on the 6th, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Beijing pushed for a far broader schedule than what actually took place during Xi's state visit to the U.S. last month, his first in 11 years.
The Chinese side proposed that Xi meet U.S. business executives and visit a university in New York or Washington to deliver a speech to students, the sources said. Beijing also suggested holding a dialogue on artificial intelligence involving officials from major technology companies in both countries.
But the U.S. side rejected many of the proposals, citing the principle of reciprocity and the need to maintain balance with President Donald Trump's state visit to China in May, the sources said.
Washington was also wary of giving Xi opportunities to present his positions directly to the American public, according to the report. The AI dialogue involving U.S. and Chinese technology companies also failed to materialize because of differences between the two sides over national security issues and other matters.
The two governments also differed over the summit agenda. China proposed discussing more than 10 diplomatic and security issues in addition to trade, while the U.S. narrowed the talks to a smaller set of items including Iran and preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Group of 20 summits, the SCMP said.
China Also Asked to Cancel Some Events, Fueling Health Speculation
Some events were canceled or scaled back at China's request, according to another report. The Wall Street Journal reported on the 2nd that the Chinese side asked for a rest room reserved exclusively for Xi inside the White House West Wing during the visit. Only his wife, Peng Liyuan, was allowed to enter. Access was tightly restricted for the Chinese delegation, including Xi's chief of staff, as well as for White House officials.
The itinerary itself was noticeably trimmed. China's advance team asked the White House to cancel a working lunch with Trump that had been scheduled for Sept. 24. That contrasted with Trump's visit to China in May, when the two leaders had lunch together at Zhongnanhai.
The Chinese side wanted to secure as much rest time as possible for Xi. As a result, about five hours of the short visit were left unscheduled, the Journal said. The evening of his arrival day was kept open, and a Sept. 25 visit to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration ended after just 10 minutes, far shorter than originally planned.
Experts said a foreign leader's request for a dedicated rest room inside the White House is unprecedented. Dennis Wilder, a former senior director for China at the National Security Council who oversaw three state visits during the George W. Bush administration, said nothing like it happened during the visits of former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi or former Chinese President Hu Jintao, calling it highly unusual.
Wilder also noted that the Sept. 24 bilateral meeting began around noon and ended early in the afternoon, adding that the session was far too short for talks between the leaders of the world's two largest economies.
