Beijing: U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled their desire to stably manage relations between the two superpowers during a high-stakes summit in Beijing on Thursday amid their intensifying rivalry on trade, security, and technological leadership.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Trump voiced optimism over the future of the bilateral relationship, while Xi stressed the importance of Sino-U.S. cooperation, saying that the two countries should be "partners, not rivals." Trump arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday evening for a three-day visit, marking his first trip to China since November 2017. He and Xi last met in person in Busan, South Korea, in late October on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
"It's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before," Trump said in his opening remarks. The American president also said that he and Xi had known each other for a long time and have had a "fantastic" relationship, while pointing out that whenever the two countries faced difficulties, the two leaders "worked it out very quickly." "We are going to have a fantastic future," he said.
Pointing to top American business leaders accompanying him, Trump reiterated his administration's pursuit of "reciprocity" in bilateral trade. "They look forward to trade and doing business, and it's going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf," he said. Xi said that a "stable" Sino-U.S. relationship is "good for the world," expressing his belief that the two countries have more common interests than differences. "China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation," he said in his remarks translated through an interpreter.
"We should be partners, not rivals. We should help each other succeed and prosper together and find the right way for major countries to get along well with each other in the new era," he added. Xi also raised a question over whether the U.S. and China can overcome the "Thucydides Trap" -- as he emphasized the need for cooperation. The trap refers to a situation in which the risks of conflict rise as an emerging power challenges a dominant one due to mistrust and strategic rivalry between them.
Prior to their meeting, Trump received a ceremonial welcome marked by a handshake between the two leaders, the performance of national anthems by a military band, an inspection of an honor guard, and greetings by young children waving flowers, as well as U.S. and Chinese flags. Ahead of his trip to China, Trump underscored his focus on trade as a key agenda item as he seeks to secure more tangible economic achievements that would likely affect voter sentiment ahead of the U.S. midterm elections slated for November.
In particular, Trump is expected to seek China's commitments to bolster its purchases of U.S. farm products, such as soybeans and beef, as well as Boeing aircraft and related components. The Middle East conflict is likely to figure prominently at the summit, as Trump seeks an exit from the months-old war with Iran and seeks to secure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil, fertilizer, and other key commodities.
China itself has been apprehensive about the ongoing war, as disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz could imperil its energy supplies. China has sought to shift to alternative energy sources and maintains large oil stockpiles, but the conflict has raised longer-term economic risks for the world's second-largest economy. Other issues on the agenda are expected to include the security of Taiwan, the self-governing democracy that China regards as part of its territory, as well as the two countries' technological competition, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence.
Some observers said that Trump and Xi could touch on North Korea as the American president has repeatedly expressed his desire to resume diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with China maintaining its influence over Pyongyang through steady diplomatic and economic exchanges. After the summit, the leaders are expected to visit the Temple of Heaven park, an imperial complex, and attend a state banquet.
On Friday, they will have tea and a working luncheon before Trump heads back home. This week's summit is the first in a series of possible bilateral talks between Trump and Xi this year, including meetings on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November and the Group of 20 gathering in Florida in December.