US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have made "huge progress" during Xi's state visit to Washington. The two leaders discussed the war in Iran and potential new meetings this year. Trump made the comments during a tea ceremony at the White House, where he and Xi were joined by their spouses. The meeting marked the end of Xi's official visit to the US.
Trump revealed that he and Xi discussed the Iran war, confirming that the topic was on the agenda. When asked about the possibility of progress in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Trump expressed optimism, saying he believed they would achieve "excellent results". The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway for global oil shipments, and tensions have been high in the region due to Iran's actions.
The two leaders also touched on the possibility of new meetings this year. Xi mentioned that there could be two more meetings, one on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in China and another during the G20 summit in the US. This would provide further opportunities for the leaders to discuss key issues and strengthen bilateral relations.
Notably, the Chinese delegation accompanying Xi was relatively small, with only 19 members, including high-ranking officials and economic advisors. In contrast, the US side had a large presence of tech industry leaders, including Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, and Mark Zuckerberg. The disparity in the size and composition of the delegations was seen as significant.
Experts offered various explanations for the small Chinese business delegation, including the sensitivity of US-China relations in areas like technology and trade. The Chinese government may have prioritized the visit's image over securing business deals. Analysts also pointed to procedural issues and visa concerns as potential factors.
The visit marked a departure from previous trips by Xi, where large business delegations were present. During his 2015 visit to the US, Xi was accompanied by 15 business leaders, including Alibaba founder Jack Ma. The reduced presence of Chinese business leaders this time around was seen as a reflection of the complexities in US-China relations.
Despite the challenges, both sides seemed optimistic about the prospects for cooperation. The meetings between Trump and Xi were seen as a positive step in strengthening bilateral ties, with the leaders emphasizing the importance of dialogue and collaboration on key issues.
Key points
- Trump and Xi made "huge progress" in their relations during Xi's state visit to Washington.
- The two leaders discussed the war in Iran and potential new meetings this year.
- The Chinese delegation accompanying Xi was relatively small, with only 19 members.
