Xi says Trump visit to enhance 'mutual understanding and trust'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday said Donald Trump's visit to Beijing would "enhance mutual understanding and trust," describing the three-day trip as a "historic and landmark" step toward stabilizing bilateral relations. Xi said both sides had established a new vision for strategic stability and reached common understandings on maintaining economic ties, according to Xinhua.

The Chinese president said the two leaders agreed to expand practical cooperation across various fields and properly address each other's concerns. He added that achieving peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation based on mutual respect represents what the people of both countries and the international community expect.

Ceremonies and bilateral talks in Beijing

Xi held a welcome ceremony and state banquet for the US president on Thursday, following Trump's arrival in the Chinese capital on Wednesday evening. The two leaders held formal talks and visited the historic Temple of Heaven together on Thursday, state media reported.

On Friday, the presidents attended a greeting ceremony and friendship photo session before Xi hosted Trump for a bilateral tea session and working lunch. Trump departed Beijing following the luncheon, marking the first visit by a sitting US president to China in nine years — since Barack Obama's trip in 2016 — though Trump himself had last visited the capital in 2017 during his first term.

Trip delayed by Middle East conflict

The presidential visit took place amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, which began on February 28 when US and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran. The conflict has prompted Iranian retaliation against Israel and American allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The trip was originally scheduled for late March but was postponed due to the regional conflict, with the US president landing in Beijing on Wednesday evening local time. Xi said both sides should implement the consensus reached, preserve the hard-won positive momentum, and eliminate interference to promote stable development of bilateral ties.