US President Donald Trump left Beijing on Friday ending his three-day visit, during which he held several rounds of talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on a host of issues including the Iran war and trade.
Before Trump’s departure, both leaders had a private meeting at Zhongnanhai, the well-guarded compound in Beijing where top leaders reside.
However, deep differences seem to persist between the two leaders on the issue of Taiwan. Both leaders also held talks on Thursday, during which Xi warned Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could trigger “clashes and even conflicts” between the two countries, the Chinese state media reported.
According to a readout of their meeting issued by the White House, Trump invited Xi and his wife to the White House on September 24, as both leaders agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy.
During their farewell meeting on Friday Xi said Trump’s visit was a historic and landmark one and the two sides had set the “new vision” of building a constructive relationship of “strategic stability”.
“We had reached important common understandings on maintaining stable economic and trade ties, expanding practical cooperation in various fields, and properly addressing each other’s concerns,” Xi said.
China and the US also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues, according to Xi.
The visit is conducive to enhancing mutual understanding, deepening mutual trust and improving the well-being of the two peoples, the Chinese leader said.
Trump is learnt to have said in the private meeting that he is willing to continue to maintain sincere and in-depth communication with Xi, as he expressed gratitude for the invitation to visit Zhongnanhai.
This is the first visit to China by a US president in nine years. Trump himself was the last US president to visit China in 2017. (Agencies)
