Xi: ‘US and China should be partners, not rivals’
Xi said he and Trump have kept China-US relations “generally stable”.
He added:
Today, president Trump and I had in-depth exchanges on China-US relations and the international and regional dynamics. We both believe that the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. We must make it work and never mess it up.
Both China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals.
Key events
Trump invites Xi to Washington in September
Trump raises a glass to Xi, as he concludes his speech with an invitation to the White House on 24 September.
Giving more examples of how close the US and China have grown over the years, Trump said Chinese people “now love basketball and blue jeans”.
He also claimed Chinese restaurants in the US today “outnumber the five largest fast food chains in the United States all combined. That’s a pretty big statement”.
Trump said the US and China have “from the beginning … shared a deep sense of mutual respect”, giving the example of Benjamin Franklin publishing the sayings of Confucius in his colonial newspaper.
Trump says talks with Xi ‘extremely positive and productive’
Donald Trump is now addressing the state dinner. The US president hailed a “fantastic day” and thanked Xi Jinping for “a magnificent welcome like none other”.
He added:
We had extremely positive and productive conversations and meetings today with the Chinese delegation earlier, and this evening is another cherished opportunity to discuss among friends some of the things that we discussed today.
Xi ended his speech with “ganbei” – the Chinese equivalent of “cheers” – and raising his glass to Trump.
Xi: ‘US and China should be partners, not rivals’
Xi said he and Trump have kept China-US relations “generally stable”.
He added:
Today, president Trump and I had in-depth exchanges on China-US relations and the international and regional dynamics. We both believe that the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. We must make it work and never mess it up.
Both China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals.
Xi compares his rejuvenation efforts in China with Trump’s Maga movement
Xi hailed a “historic visit” as he extended a warm welcome to Trump and other guests.
He said:
The people of China and the United States are both great peoples, achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand.
We can help each other succeed and advance the wellbeing of the whole world.
Trump and Xi have arrived at the state banquet, where they are seated next to each other.
Xi is now delivering a speech, follow along for more.
Looks like the tech leaders accompanying Trump on his China trip and some other US officials have arrived early for the banquet dinner in the Great Hall of the People.
Donald Trump has arrived at the state banquet in Beijing where more pageantry awaits.
Taiwan said it would “maintain close communication” with the US and that Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping contained “no surprises”.
Xi warned Trump that the issue of Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation”, according to a readout of their meeting by the Chinese foreign ministry.
Taiwan’s mainland affairs council deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh brushed off those comments, saying the self-governing island is almost always discussed in meetings between the US and China.
“So at this point, all we can say is that there has been no surprising information so far and we will continue to maintain close communication with the American side,” he said, adding that comments about conflict had been made before.
Putin visit to China will ‘take place soon’, Kremlin says
Russian president Vladimir Putin will visit China very soon and preparations for the trip are already complete, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Putin and Xi Jinping have met more than 40 times over the years, most recently in Beijing last September.
The two men signed a “no limits” strategic partnership in February 2022, less than three weeks before Russia went to war in Ukraine.
Here are some of the latest images on the wires coming out of the Trump-Xi summit