Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s state visit, China’s state-controlled media has framed the summit with President Xi Jinping as an opportunity to steer relations towards greater stability and mutual respect, despite grievances and tensions.

Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the US, echoed that message in a wide-ranging Newsweek interview published on the eve of the visit, voicing hope the Beijing meetings would help manage differences and broaden cooperation along a “steady, sound and sustainable” path.

In back-to-back commentaries this week, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily underscored the stakes and struck a forward-looking tone, seeking to project Beijing’s confidence while acknowledging persistent disputes over Taiwan, trade and strategic rivalry.

The May 13 article titled “China–US relations cannot return to the past but can have a better future” cast Trump’s visit as “a milestone new starting point” as bilateral ties enter “an entirely new historical juncture”.

It was published under the byline Guo Jiping, a collective pen name used by the paper’s international department to convey Beijing’s official stance on major global issues.

It reviewed two cycles of downturn and recovery since 2018, citing Trump’s two rounds of trade war during his first and second presidential terms, pointing to a shift towards “more equal” and pragmatic engagement with clearer boundaries.