- Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and the US must be partners and friends
- After meeting Trump, Xi said it is natural to have friction but ties should be on the right course
- The US president called Xi "a great leader of a great country"
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who held a meeting with his American counterpart Donald Trump in South Korea after six years, said on Thursday that Beijing and Washington must be partners and friends.
President Xi said that China is ready to continue working with the US. "It is natural to have friction," Xi said but pointed out that ties should be on the right course.
"China and the US can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world," he added.
Click Here To Follow All Updates On The Trump-Xi Meeting
The Chinese president also appreciated Trump's peace efforts in the ongoing conflicts in some parts of the world.
The US president, meanwhile, called Xi "a great leader of a great country."
"I think we're going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time, and it's an honour to have you with us," Trump added.
The Xi-Trump meeting
The Xi and Trump meeting happened at an air base in the southern port city of Busan. This was the first meeting between the two leaders in six years, and it was also the first meeting since Trump returned to office in January of this year.
"We are going to have a very successful meeting, I have no doubt. But he is a very tough negotiator," Trump said as he shook hands with Xi, who showed little expression.
The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, came amid the ongoing trade war between Beijing and Washington.
The Reignited Trade War
The trade war between China and the US, which has been going on since 2018, reignited earlier this month after China proposed dramatically expanding curbs on exports of rare-earth minerals vital for high-tech applications, a sector it dominates.
READ: Minutes Before Meeting Xi, Trump Orders Immediate Testing Of Nuclear Arms
Trump vowed to retaliate with additional 100% tariffs on Chinese exports and with other steps, including potential curbs on exports to China made with US software - moves that could have upended the global economy.
Following a weekend scramble between top negotiators, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expected China to delay the rare earth controls for a year and revive purchases of US soybeans critical to American farmers.
Ahead of the APEC Summit, the news agency Reuters reported on Wednesday that China bought its first cargoes of US soybeans in several months.
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