US President and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday (local time) hailed their talks as “historic” and “landmark” as the American leader wrapped up his three-day visit on a high note, but no deals on any contentious issues were announced.
The two leaders, who have held several rounds of talks over the last three days and covered a range of global issues, including the US-Iran war and bilateral trade frictions, concluded their discussions on Friday with a private meeting at Zhongnanhai, the well-guarded compound in Beijing where top leaders reside, PTI reported.
Trump’s remarks on his China trip
The termed his trip to China “very successful and unforgettable.” He added, “It is captivating the attention of the world. The two sides agreed on many things, made many deals, and worked out many issues.”
According to an official Chinese readout, noted, “This is good for both countries and the world. President Xi is my old friend, and I have a lot of respect for you, and we have forged a good relationship. The US-China relationship is very important, and it will definitely get better and better. I wish to keep this kind of sincere and deep discussion with President Xi. I very much look forward to welcoming President Xi in Washington.”
Chinese leader hails Trump’s visit
Following Trump’s remarks, noted that the two sides had set a “new vision” of building a constructive relationship between the two countries.
Without disclosing details, Xi said, “We have agreed on a new vision of a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability and reached important common understandings on keeping economic and trade ties stable, expanding practical cooperation in various fields, properly addressing each other’s concerns, and enhancing communication and coordination on international and regional issues.”
Drawing a parallel between each other’s vision for their countries, the Chinese leader noted that Trump wants to make America great again, while he is committed to leading the Chinese people toward the great rejuvenation of the country.
The two sides also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues, Xi said.
Taiwan issue, Hormuz Strait reopening discussed
The two leaders held talks on Thursday, during which the Chinese leader warned Trump over the mishandling of the issue and added that it could trigger “clashes and even conflicts” between the two countries, Chinese state media reported.
Among the issues discussed, the two leaders also agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open, which has been shut by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the US and Israel waged war against Tehran in late February. On Thursday, the US President added that Xi offered to help in keeping the Strait open, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies were transported in pre-war times.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said, “President Xi would like to see a deal made. He would like to see a deal made. And he did offer, he said, ‘If I can be of any help at all, I would like to be of help.'” He added, “Look, anybody that buys that much oil has obviously got some kind of relationship with them, but he said, ‘I would love to be of help, if I can be of any help whatsoever.’ He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open.”
Additionally, the US President also stated that his Chinese counterpart had vowed not to send military equipment to Iran. The remarks came after US intelligence reports in the last few months indicated that Beijing was preparing to help Tehran with missiles and military equipment.
US-China ties
This is the first visit to China by a US president in nine years. himself was the last US president to visit China in 2017. The meeting in Beijing marked the second meeting between the two leaders in less than a year. Trump met Xi in South Korea’s Busan for the first time after he returned to the White House for a second term. The closed-door summit, which was held in October last year, took place on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. The two leaders discussed trade friction and reduced tariffs that were imposed by Trump, first in April and then in July.
Trump has also invited Xi Jinping, along with his wife, for a visit to the US on 24 September.
(With agency inputs)
