Trump says Xi is ‘a great leader’
After expressing his gratitude for the welcome ceremony, Trump said that he and Xi have long had “a fantastic relationship” where they had been able to deal with difficulties as they arose, and said they would have a fantastic future.
“Whenever we had a problem, we worked it out very quickly,” he said, adding he had respect for China and the job Xi had done.
“You’re a great leader, I say it to everybody, you’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway because it’s true.“
Trump said just before leaving the United States that he plans on asking Xi to “open up” China during a summit also attended by leaders of major U.S. companies.
“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level!” Trump said in a post to Truth Social.
Xi says common interests outweigh differences
At the top of their meeting, Xi has made some opening remarks. Here are some highlights of what Xi said:
- I have always believed that the common interests between China and the United States outweigh the differences
- The success of China and the U.S. is an opportunity for each other
- The stability of Sino-U.S. relations is a good thing for the world
- I’m looking forward to exchanging views on major issues
- Let 2026 be a historic and landmark year for Sino-U.S. relations to carry on the past and open up the future
Xi posed a series of questions to Trump: “Can we work together to address global challenges and bring greater stability to the world? Can we focus on the well-being of our peoples and the future of humanity, and jointly create a brighter future for bilateral relations?”
He added: “These are questions of history, of the world, and of the people. They are also the defining questions of our time that you and I, as leaders of major countries, must answer together.”