Topline
President Donald Trump departed Beijing after concluding talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Friday, as Trump claimed a “lot of different problems” were settled while Xi touted an understanding on “stable” economic ties, although no concrete deals or agreements were officially announced by either side.
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, poses for a picture with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing.
Associated Press
Key Facts
On the final day of his trip, Trump and Xi met for tea and a working lunch at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese Communist Party’s headquarters and the Chinese leader’s residence, along with a smaller group of advisors.
After his meeting with Xi, Trump went to the Beijing airport, where he received a grand farewell ceremony, with schoolchildren gathering to wave American and Chinese flags in a choreographed performance.
No specific deals have been announced so far, but Trump and his officials claim China agreed to buy 200 Boeing planes, farm products like soy and several other items.
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One Trump said he will “make a determination” on the sale of arms to Taiwan, a day after Xi warned this mishandling of this issue could become flashpoint between Beijing and Washington.
Trump said he discussed Taiwan with Xi and added: “the last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away.”
When pressed about the U.S. military coming to Taiwan’s defense in the event of an invasion, Trump refused to say what he’d do and noted “There’s only one person that knows that…Me.”
What Happened At The Second Day Of Talks?
Xi first greeted Trump at the garden in Zhongnanhai, where the two of them took a stroll along with their translators. The two leaders then sat down for ceremonial tea, where Xi delivered the opening remarks saying Trump was interested in learning about the garden at the compound and its Chinese roses. Xi noted that he had agreed to send the seeds of the roses as a gift to Trump, who responded: “I love that, that’s great.” In his remarks, Trump once again heaped praise on the Chinese leader and said his visit has been “incredible,” and he thinks a “lot of good” has come of it. Trump then said both leaders discussed the Iran war, and “We feel very similar…we want it to end.” The president added that both he and Xi want the “straits open” and don’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
What Has Xi Said About The Summit With Trump?
In a readout of Friday’s meeting published by state media, Xi said the two countries had “reached important common understandings on maintaining stable economic and trade ties, expanding practical cooperation in various fields, and properly addressing each other’s concerns.” In the statement, Xi once again tied the mission of China’s rejuvenation with Trump’s MAGA slogan, saying: “While President Trump hopes to make America great again, I am dedicated to leading the Chinese people toward national rejuvenation.” The Chinese leader noted the two countries can advance development goals and revitalization by “strengthening cooperation.” The readout ended with, “The two sides also exchanged views on some regional hotspot issues,” without mentioning anything specific about either the Iran conflict or Xi’s earlier remarks about Taiwan.
Tangent
In a post on Truth Social earlier in the day, Trump wrote: “When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden.” It is unclear what exact comment the president was referencing in his post, but Xi had mentioned the “Thucydides Trap” on Thursday—a reference that draws a parallel between the modern U.S.-China rivalry and Greek history, where the rise of Athens as a new power instilled fear in the established power Sparta and led to a clash. Trump listed what he referred to as the failures of the previous administration, reiterating his grievances about DEI, transgender rights and “open borders” among other things. The president then touted his administration’s apparent successes, including “all-time high stock markets” and “military victory” in Venezuela and “military decimation of Iran.” Trump then added: “President Xi congratulated me on so many tremendous successes in such a short period of time,” and said he “fully” agrees with Xi that the U.S. was a nation in decline “two years ago.”
What Else Has Trump Said About His Meeting With Xi?
Trump sat down for an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity in Beijing, where he said Xi would like to see a deal made to end the Iran war. The president claimed Xi told him “If I can be of any help at all…any help whatsoever, he’d like to see the Hormuz Strait opened.” Trump also said the Chinese leader told him he will not “give military equipment” to Iran. He also told Hannity that China has agreed they “want to buy oil from the United States, they’re going to go to Texas, we’re going to start sending Chinese ships to Texas and to Louisiana and to Alaska.” Trump then added: “They have an insatiable appetite for energy, and we have unlimited energy.”
Further Reading
Beijing Summit: Trump Invites Xi To The White House In September (Forbes)
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