On May 14, US President Donald and President of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Xi Jinping met in Beijing. The White House broadcast the gala reception on YouTube.
Trump arrived in Beijing accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamison Greer, as well as the heads of nearly 20 leading US companies. The media wrote that this meeting “should extend the truce between the two main economic and military powers concluded last fall.
Speaking at the beginning of the negotiations, Trump had already announced that relations between China and the United States would be better “than ever,” writes Reuters. He called the head of the People's Republic of China a “great leader” and noted that Beijing and Washington always “quickly” resolve problems among themselves.
According to Xi Jinping, “the common interests of China and the United States outweigh their differences,” and the success of one side is an opportunity for the other. The Chinese leader called for creating a new paradigm for US-China relations and avoiding the “Thucydides trap” (the tendency to war when a rising state tries to displace another from the meta-world leader).
“Whether we can join forces to solve global problems and ensure greater stability in the world, whether we can take care of the well-being of our two peoples, the future and fate of humanity and together create a bright future for bilateral relations are questions of history, questions of peace and questions of the people,” CNN quotes him as saying.
The TV channel notes that the negotiations are under the “shadow” of the war in Iran and the global energy crisis. Trump is expected to urge Beijing to push Tehran to reach a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.
At the moment, the leaders have already held two-hour talks and visited the Temple of Heaven, writes CNN. When asked by the American press about how their meeting went, Trump “behaved unusually restrained,” journalists note.
“Great. Great place. Incredible. China is great,” Trump said, declining to answer further questions about Taiwan.
