The leaders of the United States and China, meeting amid heightened uncertainty over the Iran war and trade tensions, agreed to build a "constructive and strategically stable relationship." The agreement is seen as a signal that the United States, facing November midterm elections, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, preparing for a fourth term next year, intend to avoid a worst-case confrontation and manage bilateral ties. The White House said the two countries agreed to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and to bar Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, suggesting a certain level of coordination on the Iran issue.
Xi, however, raised the Taiwan issue and openly referred to the possibility of a clash between the two countries, making clear he would not retreat an inch.
According to CNN on the 14th, US President Donald Trump told reporters during a Q&A session at Tiantan Park following the US-China summit that the meeting with Xi "was great," adding, "President Xi is a great leader, China is a great country, and I have tremendous respect for President Xi and the Chinese people."
Xi said Trump had agreed to adopt a "constructive and strategically stable US-China relationship" as a new framework for bilateral ties, and that this would set the strategic direction for relations over the next three years or more, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Trump and Xi held an expanded meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with delegations from both countries in attendance. The talks began around 10:15 a.m. and lasted about 135 minutes.
The two sides found common ground on boosting economic exchanges. Setting foot in Beijing for the first time in about nine years, Trump referred to the US chief executive officers accompanying him and said, "They are looking forward to trade and business with China. That will be completely reciprocal for the United States as well." Xi responded that "the essence of US-China economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation." Meeting with the US CEOs during the talks, Xi stressed, "China's door of opening will open even wider, and US companies will have even greater business prospects in China."
On Taiwan, however, Xi strongly signaled his determination to defend "core interests," warning that "if mishandled, the two countries could collide or even end up in all-out conflict." Trump remained silent when reporters asked whether the Taiwan issue had been discussed at the summit. Xinhua reported that the two sides exchanged views on major issues including the Middle East situation, the Ukraine crisis, and the Korean Peninsula.
