Xi pledges continued cooperation with Trump to strengthen China-US ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping said that he is ready to continue working with US President Donald Trump to build a solid foundation for bilateral ties and create a sound atmosphere for the development of both countries.

In a highly anticipated meeting with the US leader in South Korea on October 30, Xi evaluated China-US relations as having remained stable on the whole, according to a statement published by Beijing's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

"You and I are at the helm of China-US relations," said Xi, addressing Trump. "In the face of winds, waves and challenges, we should stay the right course, navigate through the complex landscape, and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-US relations."

Xi highlighted the fact that the two countries' economic and trade teams had an in-depth exchange of views on important economic and trade issues, and reached a consensus on solving various issues.

The Chinese leader called on the two teams to work out and finalise the follow-up steps as soon as possible, and ensure that the common understandings are effectively upheld and implemented in order to inject confidence into the two countries as well as the global economy through solid deliverables.

China-US economic and trade relations have experienced ups and downs recently, and this has also given the two sides some insights, Xi recalled, urging that the two countries' bilateral business relationship should continue to serve as the anchor and driving force for bilateral relations, rather than act as a stumbling block or a point of friction.

The two sides should think big and recognise the long-term benefit of cooperation, and must not fall into a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation, Xi added, calling on the two teams to continue their talks in the spirit of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, and continuously shorten the list of problems and lengthen the list of cooperation.

By Nazrin Sadigova