BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping offered warm words for U. S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, calling him a friend and saying he expected Trump’s visit to China in November would be “wonderful”. China’s relationship with the United States has been…
BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping offered warm words for U. S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, calling him a friend and saying he expected Trump’s visit to China in November would be “wonderful”.
China’s relationship with the United States has been strained by the Trump administration’s criticism of Chinese trade practices and by demands that Beijing do more to pressure North Korea to halt its nuclear weapons and missiles programmes.
Xi and Trump met for the first time in person at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in April. Trump has since played up his personal relationship with Xi, even when criticising China over North Korea and trade.
Meeting U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, Xi said he had enjoyed his meetings with Trump and that the two had made considerable efforts to push the development of China-US relations.
“The two of us have also maintained a good working relationship and personal friendship,” Xi said, in comments in front of reporters.
