The world's two largest economies are attempting to preserve a fragile trade truce through high-level diplomatic talks this week. A coalition of 17 Democratic senators is pressing President Donald Trump to secure a formal pact with China to slow or halt the expansion of artificial intelligence during meetings with President Xi Jinping. Representative Ro Khanna, the lead Democrat on the China Committee, is concurrently holding a hearing to establish the required standards for a global AI safety framework.

Tensions remain focused on Taiwan and China's involvement in the Iran conflict, while a $30 billion tariff cut is scheduled to expire Nov 10. Trump's greeting of Xi at Joint Base Andrews marks the first time the president has welcomed a foreign official upon landing at the base. While US business leaders including Satya Nadella and Mark Zuckerberg will attend a White House state dinner, reports indicate Xi will not bring a corresponding delegation of corporate executives, reducing expectations for major business deals.