In a meeting closely watched around the world, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump on Thursday agreed on a new vision for building a constructive bilateral relationship based on strategic stability.
The new vision will provide strategic guidance for China-US relations over the next three years and beyond, Xi said during talks with Trump in Beijing. Trump is on a three-day state visit to China — the first such visit in nine years.
Xi described the concept of “constructive strategic stability” as positive stability centred on cooperation, sound stability with moderate competition, constant stability with manageable differences, and enduring stability grounded in commitments to peace. Trump said he would work with Xi to strengthen communication and cooperation, properly manage differences and improve bilateral relations. Both leaders agreed that China-US relations are among the world’s most important bilateral ties.
Reflecting on the history of China-US relations, Xi said mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation were essential to maintaining stable ties. Speaking at a welcome banquet for Trump, Xi said both nations stood to benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation.
New impetus for cooperation
During formal talks, Xi referred to the latest round of trade negotiations between Chinese and US officials, describing the outcomes as generally balanced and positive. He said the progress was good news for both countries and the wider world and urged both sides to maintain the momentum achieved through sustained efforts.
China’s Ministry of Commerce said Beijing was prepared to work with Washington to expand areas of cooperation and reduce points of friction.
Trump was accompanied by several leading US business executives, including Tim Cook, Jensen Huang and Elon Musk. Trump described them as outstanding representatives of the US business community and encouraged them to expand cooperation with China.
The executives said the meeting between Xi and Trump had injected fresh momentum into bilateral trade and economic cooperation and had provided greater certainty for the global economy. Xi said China would continue opening its economy further and welcomed deeper mutually beneficial cooperation with US companies.
Friendship and diplomacy
Before the talks, Xi hosted a formal welcome ceremony for Trump outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The ceremony included performances by a military band, a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour.
Trump described it as a great honour to visit China and praised relations between the two countries. He said he and Xi had maintained friendly communication and resolved several important issues, describing Xi as “a great leader” and China as “a great country”. He also expressed respect for Xi and the Chinese people.
Following the talks, the two leaders visited the Temple of Heaven. Trump praised the more than 600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site and said the United States and China should deepen mutual understanding and strengthen ties between their peoples.
At the welcome banquet, Xi referred to the China-US Ping-Pong Diplomacy of 55 years ago, saying continued engagement between the two countries had remained an important driving force in bilateral relations. Xi noted that he and Trump had held multiple meetings and telephone conversations that helped maintain relative stability in the relationship.
Trump thanked Xi for the reception and described the discussions between the two sides as positive and constructive. “Today is a fantastic day,” he said.
Regional issues and future relations
The two presidents also exchanged views on major international and regional issues, including the Middle East, the war in Ukraine and developments on the Korean Peninsula. Chinese analysts said that if a relationship based on constructive strategic stability could be established and maintained, both countries could contribute significantly to global peace and development in the years ahead.
Diao Daming, vice dean of the National Academy of Development and Strategy at Renmin University of China, said the United States would need to work alongside China to achieve the shared vision, given Beijing’s consistent position on bilateral relations. Xi stressed that building such a relationship should involve concrete action rather than rhetoric.
Addressing the issue of Taiwan, Xi described it as the most important matter in China-US relations. He warned that if it were handled properly, bilateral ties could remain stable, but mishandling the issue could lead to clashes or even conflict, placing the broader relationship at risk.
Xinhua
