Xi and Trump hold high-stakes talks in Beijing, stress cooperation despite differences
發佈日期: 2026-05-14 20:18
TVB News
US President Donald Trump is in China for three days for a state visit.
President Xi Jinping held talks with Trump that lasted more than 2 hours 15 minutes this morning.
Xi stresses that common interests between China and the United States outweigh their differences, while warning that Taiwan remains the most important issue in bilateral relations.
Trump, meanwhile, expresses hopes for stronger economic and trade cooperation.
In a highly anticipated summit, President Xi Jinping met US President Donald Trump at the Great Hall of the People this morning.
Greeting Trump, Xi says it was his pleasure to meet the US leader again in Beijing, which marks Trump's first visit to China in nine years, noting their meeting is closely watched by the entire world.
Xi says there are no winners in a trade war.
Faced with differences and friction, he says equal-footed dialogue remains the only correct choice.
He says common interests between China and the United States are greater than their differences.
Xi says the two countries should be partners, not rivals, and they should achieve mutual success and shared prosperity while forging a new path for relations between major countries in the new era.
Xi adds that the world stands at a new crossroad, urging both countries to avoid the so-called 'Thucydides Trap' and and bring greater stability to the world.
The "Thucydides Trap" is a theory by US scholar Graham Allison, contending that war becomes highly likely when a rising power threatens the dominance of an existing superpower.
Trump, meanwhile, described Xi as a great leader, saying the two leaders have always been able to resolve issues through cooperation.
US President DONALD TRUMP: "We've had a fantastic relationship, we've gotten along when there are difficulties, we work it out. I would call you and you would call me and whenever we had a problem, we work out very quickly, and we are going to have a fantastic future. To everybody, you are a great leader, sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway. Because it is true, I only say the truth."
He also said the US delegation this time includes multiple senior executives from top companies, expressing hopes for deeper trade cooperation with Beijing.
TRUMP: "They're here today to pay respects to you and to China, and they look forward to trade and doing business. It's totally reciprocal on our behalf. It's an honour to be with you, it's an honour to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before."
Before the closed-door meeting, the two leaders delivered opening remarks lasting more than five minutes.
Xinhua reported that Xi raised the Taiwan issue during the meeting, describing it as the most important issue in China-US relations. He warned that mishandling the matter could result in clashes or even conflict between the two countries.
The two leaders also discussed major international and regional issues, including the Middle East situation, the war in Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula.
Both sides agreed to build what they described as a "constructive and strategically stable" China-US relationship -- one that centred on cooperation, positive stability and manageable competition.
