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President Donald Trump opened his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping by predicting “a great future together” – striking an unusually warm tone as his administration pursues new trade and investment deals with Beijing.
“In fact, it’s the longest relationship our two countries have ever had,” Trump said at the start of a bilateral meeting on Thursday local time. “We had a very good relationship. We get along.”
“And whenever we had a problem, we fixed it very quickly,” he continued. “We will have a great future together.”
Trump also praised Xi directly, calling him a “great leader” and emphasizing the personal relationship between the two leaders as the basis for future cooperation.
President Donald Trump opened his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping by predicting “a great future together.” (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Xi, in his opening speech, emphasized the cooperation and shared interests between the two countries.
“As leaders of major countries, this year is the 250th anniversary of America’s independence,” Xi said, according to a translator. “Congratulations to you and the American people. I always believe that our two countries have more common aspirations than differences.”
“The success of one is an opportunity for the other, and stable bilateral relations are good for the world,” he continued.
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“China and the United States will both benefit from cooperation and lose conflict. We must be partners, not rivals. We must help each other to succeed and succeed together, and find the right way for major countries to cooperate well in the new era.”
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026, to discuss the Iran conflict, trade imbalances, the situation in Taiwan, and the establishment of new joint boards to oversee the economy and AI. (Evan Vucci/Reuters)
Xi added that he looked forward to working with Trump “to plan the way to steer and steer the great ship of China-US relations to make 2026 a landmark year that opens a new chapter in China-US relations.”
These comments came as Trump arrived in Beijing accompanied by a delegation of senior US officials, emphasizing the administration’s focus on solving economic problems as the wider tensions between the two countries have not been resolved.
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“I want to say, on behalf of the entire great team that we have … we have great business people,” Trump said. “We asked 30 of the best in the world. They all said yes.”
The team includes executives from major American companies including aerospace, finance, technology and agriculture, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.
White House officials said before the trip that Americans should expect the president to “deliver many good deals,” with talks expected to include aerospace, agriculture and energy, as well as continuing the proposed US-China “Board of Trade” and “Board of Investment.”
The emphasis on trade comes after years of tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade, technology and military rivalry. (Kenny Holston/Pool via Reuters)
A senior administration official said the trade framework that could be discussed could include “double-digit” trade levels, as well as possible commitments to imports from China in areas such as aircraft and agricultural products.
The emphasis on trade comes after years of tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade, technology and military rivalry.
Trump has imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese goods – a policy he has continued in his second term – while repeatedly accusing Beijing of unfair trade practices.
He also criticized previous US policy that helped integrate China into the global trading system, saying Beijing benefited from open markets without offering similar access in return.
But in his opening speech Thursday, the president emphasized business and personal ties, highlighting what appears to be an effort to stabilize economic ties between the world’s two largest economies.
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The comments came as administration officials said trade talks with China were continuing, as well as talks on Iran, artificial intelligence and other security issues.
Xi’s praise of Xi is consistent with his long-standing practice of using personal diplomacy with foreign leaders, including rivals, as a negotiating tactic — whether or not that approach translates into stronger deals with China.
