Chinese President Xi Jinping, who met with U.S. President Donald Trump, said it is normal for the United States and China to have friction from time to time, and called for moving forward steadily in the right direction.
At the U.S.-China summit that began around 11 a.m. on the 30th (Korea time) in a reception room at the Air Force base inside Busan Gimhae International Airport, Xi said in his opening remarks, As the national conditions of the two countries differ, our views cannot always align.
Xi said, It is also normal for the world's two giant economies to have friction from time to time, adding, You (President Trump) and I hold the rudder of U.S.-China relations. Even when facing winds, waves, and various challenges, we must keep to the correct course, navigate the complex environment, and ensure that the great ship of U.S.-China relations advances steadily.
Xi said, Since President Trump's reelection, we have held three calls and exchanged multiple letters and have communicated closely. Under our joint leadership, U.S.-China relations have generally remained stable, adding, A few days ago in the Malaysia consultations, the two countries' economic and trade teams reached a basic agreement on solutions to each side's key concerns. This created the necessary conditions for our talks today.
He continued, China is ready to cooperate with the United States, and the U.S. and China should be friends, adding, China's development also goes together with the vision of "Make America Great Again (MAGA)."
The meeting between President Trump and Xi was the first in about 6 years and 4 months since they met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Osaka, Japan, in June 2019 during the first Trump administration. This meeting is expected to discuss trade negotiations related to the tariff war the two countries have waged since April. Earlier, senior trade delegations from both sides held a fifth round of trade talks in Malaysia and reached a broad agreement.