U.S. President Donald Trump praised his closed-door talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on Thursday, calling the meeting "great" as he spoke to reporters afterward.
"We had a great meeting," Trump told reporters while giving an exclusive tour of his new helipad and Marine One.
Trump also said Xi "has great interest in granite. He likes granite."
"He's an expert on stone aside from many other things. And he loves good granite," he added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told Trump that Beijing and Washington must peacefully manage their superpower rivalry.
While Trump hailed their "truly great friendship" during a day of pomp and ceremony, Xi used his state visit to lay out China's positions on artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the Iran war.
Behind the pageantry - including Trump taking Xi aboard his Marine One helicopter - the talks focused on tensions that continue to divide the world's two largest economies.
In opening remarks with Trump, Xi said the two countries must ensure there is "no conflict and no confrontation between us."
Xi also warned that the development of artificial intelligence should remain "always under human control," contrasting with Trump's repeated dismissal of warnings that AI could pose a threat to humanity.
Trump struck a warmer tone, underscoring his long-running efforts to cultivate ties with the Chinese leader.
"President Xi and I have made tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries," Trump said after greeting Xi on his first visit to the White House in more than a decade.
Trump, 80, said the two leaders would "discuss pressing issues concerning security, technology, and super intelligence - SI," his term for artificial intelligence.
Later, during talks in the Oval Office, Xi urged Trump to show "prudence" and oppose independence for Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory.
The Chinese leader, whose country has reportedly shared intelligence with Tehran, also urged Trump to end the Iran war "through negotiation as soon as possible."
Few major breakthroughs were expected during Xi's state visit, with the trip focused largely on diplomacy and managing points of friction between the world's two largest economies.
A formal welcome on the White House South Lawn opened Thursday's events before Trump and Xi inspected a military parade on the newly paved Rose Garden.
U.S. military aircraft, including a B-2 bomber of the type used to strike Iranian nuclear facilities last year, then staged a flyover as American and Chinese flags flew over the West Wing.
In the Oval Office, Trump joked that the Chinese had the friendliest press corps.
His comment came days after he barred CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House, although the outlets returned Thursday following a court order.
Trump later walked Xi out to see the new White House helipad and took the Chinese leader aboard Marine One, one of the most sensitive pieces of U.S. military equipment.
"We had a great meeting," Trump said, as the two leaders ignored questions on Iran, Taiwan, fentanyl trafficking and jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai.
Trump added that Xi was an "expert on stone aside from many other things and he loves good granite," referring to the material used for the helipad, which Trump has said would last a million years.
Trump was set to host a state dinner for Xi later Thursday, with top U.S. technology executives expected to attend. The menu included yellow squash veloute, sesame-crusted sea bass and vanilla cremeux with White House honey ice cream, according to the White House.
The charm offensive began Wednesday when Trump personally greeted Xi at the airport - the first time in more than six decades that a U.S. president welcomed a foreign head of state in person at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.
Trump said Xi, 73, looked "strong, vibrant, and fit," following recent speculation about the Chinese leader's health.
But the flattery masked persistent tensions over contentious issues, including the trade dispute between the world's two largest economies sparked by Trump's tariffs.
In a modest sign of progress, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Wednesday a two-month extension of a trade truce that had been due to expire in November.
