Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday the United States and China reached a new trade arrangement, according to a report, as he and US President Donald Trump held a summit in Washington to discuss artificial intelligence, trade, security and other key issues.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi made the remarks during the White House summit, calling the arrangement "good news for industries and people of both countries, as well as the global economy," while noting that a stable economic relationship requires "expanding the list of cooperation and shortening the list of problems."
It did not elaborate on the arrangement, but US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has told Fox News that Washington and Beijing agreed to extend their trade truce by two months until Jan. 10.
During the summit, Trump and Xi also exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula, the situation in the Middle East, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, according to the news outlet.
Ahead of the summit, Trump and Xi were expected to touch on North Korea-related issues, as Trump hopes to have a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, in a resumption of his personal diplomacy with the recalcitrant regime.
Among the key summit topics was Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that China regards as part of its territory.
Xi expressed China's hope for the US to oppose "Taiwan independence" and handle the Taiwan issue "with prudence" to lay a solid foundation for bilateral strategic cooperation, according to Xinhua News Agency.
On AI, Xi called for the US and China to leverage their respective strengths rather than guarding against each other, noting that they can continue to engage in dialogue on AI, discuss its risks and benefits, and work together to prevent the misuse and abuse of the technology, the outlet said.
During a welcome ceremony at the White House, Xi said that the US and China are both leading nations in AI, and that they have both "the capability and responsibility" to develop and manage AI for good, and ensure that the development of AI is "always under human control and serves the well-being of the people."
Xi's remarks on AI showed apparent differences from Trump's position.
During an address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said that the US "totally rejects any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control AI," stressing that he will not "stifle" the growth of AI.
At the White House ceremony, the two leaders stressed their friendship, shared interests and the need for cooperation while recalling the history of the U.S. and China fighting alongside each other as allies during World War II.
"If we focus on our common interests, I'm confident there is much we can achieve," Trump said. "Throughout history, the pursuit of those common interests has connected our people across vast oceans, (despite) those big, tremendous distances and many differences, and even made us allies in World War II."
Trump noted that since his first presidential election in 2016, he and Xi have forged a "truly great friendship" built on "mutual respect and the vital interests of the two countries' peoples."
He also said that through cooperation, he and Xi have made "tremendous strides" on trade and other issues, noting that the two countries have been working to encourage a "more balanced" trading relationship.
Xi underscored the importance of cooperation between the two superpowers, calling for stronger bilateral communication and joint efforts to "coexist in peace."
"During your visit to China this year, we agreed to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability, and this is widely welcomed by the people of our two countries and the international community," he said through an interpreter.
"I am ready to work with you to steer the giant ship of the China-US relationship on a steady course toward the future."
Xi called for "candid, in-depth, and continued dialogue" with the US, saying it can help the two nations better understand each other, seek common ground and address differences while building mutual trust.
"We should cooperate with sincerity. The interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined, and there is plenty of room for us to work together," he said. "China-US cooperation may not solve every problem in the world, but without our cooperation, it would be hard to solve many of the world's problems."
Moreover, Xi said that achieving his vision of the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" and Trump's drive to "make America great again (MAGA)" can "go hand in hand."
Describing the giant panda as an "envoy of friendship" between the American and Chinese people, Xi said that in a few days, two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will come to their new home at a zoo in Atlanta, Georgia.
Later in the day, Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted a state dinner for Xi and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan.
There, Trump said that he and Xi both understand they represent "different systems," but the ties between the two countries' peoples "endure."
"Americans and Chinese have always exchanged goods, knowledge, customs, and ideas," he said. "This has been the foundation of commerce and mutual respect between our countries, and together we can continue to build a relationship that promotes prosperity and security for future generations."
He proposed a toast to the Chinese presidential couple and "the long relationship between China and America that has bridged thousands of miles and spanned hundreds of years," while wishing for a "future of harmony, peace and success" for the peoples of both nations.
Commenting on Thursday's summit, Xi said that he and Trump had "sincere" and "in-depth" exchanges, and reached "common understanding on many issues." He did not elaborate further.
"This has added new substance to the constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability and provided new strategic guidance for China-US relations," he said through an interpreter, noting that the two leaders agreed to build a relationship of strategic stability during Trump's visit to Beijing in May.
The Chinese leader recalled China's resistance against Japanese aggression during World War II, noting that Chinese soldiers and civilians rescued hundreds of American pilots "at the cost of hundreds of thousands of Chinese lives."
"Such a friendship, forged in blood and fire, will surely live on through the generations," he said.
Xi also pointed out that his goal for national rejuvenation and Trump's MAGA drive can "surely be mutually reinforcing."
"China and the United States must act as responsible major countries, meet the expectations of our peoples, keep pace with the trend of our times, and explore a new approach for major countries to get along with each other," he said, proposing a toast to the US presidential couple, and the prosperity and progress of the two nations.
On Friday morning, the US and Chinese presidential couples plan to travel to the National Archives in Washington, where they will view records and documents significant to the US-China relationship throughout history, according to the first lady's office.
Xi arrived in the US on Wednesday, kicking off his first trip to the US capital in more than a decade. Thursday's summit marked the leaders' third in-person meeting since Trump's return to office, following their previous talks in Busan, South Korea, last October, and in Beijing in May.
Following this week's summit, the leaders are expected to meet again on the margins of multilateral gatherings -- the APEC summit in Shenzhen and the Group of 20 summit in Miami, Florida, in December. (Yonhap)
