Xi, Trump held a private meeting in Beijing before conclusion of US President’s China visit

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump had a private meeting on Friday in the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in central Beijing.

The meeting came before Trump concluded his state visit to China and a day after the two leaders held formal talks.

Upon Trump’s arrival at Zhongnanhai, Xi warmly welcomed him. The two heads of state walked and talked, occasionally stopping to admire the trees and flowers in the garden, Xinhua news agency reported.

Noting that Trump’s visit was a historic and landmark one, Xi said the two sides had set a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability.

“We 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,” Xi said.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues, according to Xi.

The visit is conducive to enhancing mutual understanding, deepening mutual trust and improving the well-being of the two peoples, Xi said.

This once again demonstrates that it is a shared aspiration of both peoples and the expectation of people across the world for China and the United States to find a right path to get along with each other and to achieve peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, Xi added.

“While President Trump hopes to make America great again, I am dedicated to leading the Chinese people toward national rejuvenation,” Xi said, stressing that the two countries can advance their respective development and revitalisation by strengthening cooperation.

China and the United States should implement the important common understandings that have been reached, cherish the hard-won positive momentum, keep to the right direction, steer clear of disruptions, and promote the steady development of bilateral relations, Xi said.

Trump said that he is very grateful to Xi for inviting him to visit Zhongnanhai, adding that his visit to China was very successful, captured the world’s attention and was unforgettable.

Trump said that the two sides had reached a series of important common understandings, signed a number of agreements, and resolved many problems, which were very beneficial to both countries and the world.

Noting that Xi is his old friend, Trump said that he has great respect for Xi and that they have established a good relationship. The US-China relationship is very important and will definitely get better, he said.

Trump said that he is willing to continue to maintain sincere and in-depth communication with Xi, and warmly looks forward to hosting Xi in Washington, DC.

The two sides also exchanged views on some regional hotspot issues.

US President Donald Trump left Beijing on Friday afternoon, concluding his state visit to China.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and minister of foreign affairs, saw Trump off at the airport.

IANS