Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump praised relations between the United States and China on Wednesday during a two-day summit in Beijing, where senior American officials and business executives met with top Chinese leaders.
The president had originally been expected to meet earlier this year with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the meeting was delayed due to the conflict involving Iran, which continues to cast a shadow over the talks.
“It’s an honor to be with you, it’s an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before,” President Trump said during remarks alongside Xi.
He said the American delegation included some of the world’s leading business executives, whom he described as the “top 30” business leaders globally.
Among those attending the summit were Elon Musk, Tim Cook and David Solomon.
“I didn’t want the second or the third in the company. I wanted only the top, and they’re here today to pay respects to you and to China,” President Trump told Xi. “They look forward to trade and doing business, and it’s going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf.”
Xi responded with cautious optimism about future cooperation between the two countries, while emphasizing the summit’s broader global significance.
“The main question is whether the two countries can work together to meet challenges and bring greater stability to the world,” Xi said.
“Can we, in the interest of the well-being of our two peoples and the future of humanity, build a brighter future together for our bilateral relations?” he added. “Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both. The two countries should be partners rather than rivals, achieve success together and pursue common prosperity, and chart a correct path for major-country relations in the new era.”
