US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about the future of US-China relations, telling his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that ties between the two countries are poised to become “better than ever before.”
“It’s an honour to be with you. It’s an honour to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before,” Trump said at a meeting with Xi in Beijing.
His remarks came after Xi hosted a welcoming ceremony for the president at the Great Hall of the People.
“We’ve had a fantastic relationship. We’ve gotten along when there were difficulties, we worked it out,” Trump said.
It marked the first official visit to China by a sitting US president since Trump’s visit in 2017 during his previous term.
Trump highlighted what he called a strong personal relationship with Xi, saying the two leaders had consistently managed tensions through direct communication.
“I would call you, and you would call me, and whenever we had a problem — people don’t know — whenever we had a problem, we worked it out very quickly,” he said. “And we’re going to have a fantastic future together.”
Trump repeatedly praised Xi’s leadership and China’s development under his rule.
“I have such respect for China, the job you’ve done. You’re a great leader,” he said. “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.”
Related
‘Maybe the biggest summit ever’
