Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on the 30th, reaffirmed a willingness to patch up the "tariff war" with the United States, saying that the two countries must not fall into a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Xi made the remarks during a summit with President Trump held at Narae Maru, a reception hall inside the air force base at Busan Gimhae Airport, saying the two countries formed a consensus on resolving economic and trade issues through an in-depth exchange of views.
Xi said the two countries must do the "big calculation" of long-term interests and added that they can continue talking under the principles of equality, respect, and reciprocity, reduce the list of problems, and expand the list of cooperation.
He also stressed that follow-up work should be promptly detailed and finalized to properly maintain and implement agreements, and that "stabilizers" should be provided to the two countries and the world economy through tangible results, adding that the economy and trade must continue to be the "ballast" and propeller of China-U.S. relations, not stumbling blocks or flashpoints.
Xi likened China's economy to a "vast ocean," assessing that its scale, resilience, and potential are all large and that it has the confidence and capability to respond to various risks and challenges.
He went on to say that for more than 70 years, "we have drawn 'one blueprint' to the end and worked across generations," adding that China has not sought to challenge or replace anyone and has focused on doing its own work well and sharing development opportunities with countries around the world.
This is seen as an extension of China's existing stance that it has no intention of challenging U.S. hegemony and will strive for joint growth with the world.
In opening remarks at the China-U.S. summit made public earlier, Xi also said that China's development and rejuvenation do not conflict with President Trump's goal to "Make America Great Again (MAGA)," adding that the two countries can prosper together.
At the meeting, opening by telling President Trump and the U.S. delegation that he was very pleased to meet them, Xi repeatedly delivered conciliatory messages such as "we must steer the giant ship of China-U.S. relations steadily," and "China and the United States should become partners and friends."
In addition, Xi praised Trump, saying the U.S. leader is taking an active role in resolving global issues facing countries around the world.
Xi said President Trump is sincere about world peace and highly attentive to many global hotspots, adding that he contributed to the Gaza cease-fire agreement and, in Malaysia, produced an agreement related to the Thailand-Cambodia border.
He added that China, for its part, has also played a role in resolving the border issue between Cambodia and Thailand, and that China and the United States, as major powers, are two countries bearing great responsibility for global affairs.
Xi proposed that the two countries strengthen dialogue and exchanges in areas such as illegal immigration and cracking down on telecom fraud, anti-money laundering, AI, and responses to infectious diseases, and pursue mutually beneficial cooperation.
Xinhua also mentioned President Trump's remarks describing China as a "great country" and Xi as a "respected great leader and long-time friend."
According to the report, President Trump said at the meeting that China-U.S. relations have always been good and will get even better, adding that he hopes the future of China and the United States will be even brighter.
He went on to emphasize that China is the United States' biggest partner and that if the two countries join hands, they can accomplish many things in the world, adding that China-U.S. cooperation will achieve greater results going forward.
According to Xinhua, the two leaders agreed at the summit to strengthen cooperation in areas such as the economy, trade, and energy, and to promote people-to-people exchanges.
The outlet also reported that the China-U.S. leaders agreed to maintain regular exchanges, and that President Trump is expected to visit China early next year and looks forward to inviting Xi to the United States.
Xinhua's report did not include items that President Trump had introduced earlier at an informal press briefing, such as China's immediate resumption of soybean imports and a deferral of rare earth export controls, and the U.S. side's 10% cut in the fentanyl tariff.
Attending the meeting with Xi were members of China's top leadership responsible respectively for security, diplomacy, and economic affairs: Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and secretary of the Secretariat, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vice Premier He Lifeng of the State Council and Wang Wentao, Minister of China's Ministry of Commerce, and Vice Minister Ma Zhaoxu of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Meanwhile, on his first trip to Korea in 11 years, Xi plans from today a three-day, two-night schedule including attending the APEC summit and a China-Korea summit with President Lee Jae-myung on Nov. 1.
Local Japanese media previously reported that a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Xi on the 31st is being coordinated, but the Chinese side said it currently has "no information to provide" regarding the schedule.