Leaders reach key consensus in Beijing

President Xi Jinping said on Friday that he has reached important consensus with United States President Donald Trump on multiple issues, including maintaining stable Sino-US economic and trade relations, during Trump's "historic and landmark" visit, which concluded on the same day.

Late on Friday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a news briefing on the just-concluded Xi-Trump meeting that President Xi will make a state visit to the US in autumn at the invitation of President Trump.

Xi, who held a private meeting with Trump at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese central leadership compound in Beijing, on the final day of Trump's three-day state visit, said they agreed on the new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability.

He said they also arrived at important common understandings on expanding pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in various fields and addressing each other's concerns, agreeing to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues.

Earlier in the day, as Xi and Trump took a stroll around the leadership compound during their meeting, Chinese roses and some ancient trees drew Trump's attention and sparked some lighthearted conversation between the two leaders.

The place used to be a part of the imperial garden, and is steeped in history. Xi told Trump that one of the trees they admired during their walk is 490 years old, and that he would send the seeds of the Chinese roses they saw in the garden to Trump as a gift.

"I love that; it's great," Trump said.

Very few foreign leaders have entered Zhongnanhai to hold meetings with Chinese leaders during their visits. The list includes former US presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Xi said that Trump's visit to China is conducive to promoting mutual understanding, deepening mutual trust and enhancing the well-being of the two peoples.

This once again shows that it is a shared aspiration of the people of both countries and the expectation of people across the world for China and the US to find a right path to get along with each other and achieve peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, he added.

Xi noted that Trump wishes to make America great again, while he himself is committed to leading the Chinese people in achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Both countries can contribute to each other's development and revitalization through strengthened cooperation, he said.

Xi urged both sides to effectively implement the important common understandings reached, cherish the hard-won positive momentum, keep to the right direction, steer clear of disruptions and promote the steady development of bilateral relations.

Trump expressed his gratitude to Xi for welcoming him to Zhongnanhai. He described his China visit as very successful and unforgettable, adding that it captured global attention.

He said the two sides have reached a series of important common understandings, made many deals and resolved many problems, which are beneficial for both countries and the world.

Calling Xi his old friend, Trump said that he has great respect for the Chinese leader and they have forged a good relationship.

The US-China relationship is very important, and it will definitely get better and better, he said, adding that he is willing to maintain sincere and in-depth communication with Xi and looks forward to hosting Xi in Washington, DC.

Both presidents also exchanged views on some regional hotspot issues. Trump wrapped up his state visit to China on Friday afternoon, and left for the US.

At Friday's news briefing, Foreign Minister Wang said that the Xi-Trump summit in Beijing took place at a new historical juncture in China-US relations.

During their interactions that lasted for about nine hours, the two leaders held candid, deep, constructive and strategic communications, exploring the right way for major countries to get along with each other, he said.

On the Taiwan question, which is the most important issue in China-US relations, he said: "During the meeting, we felt that the US side understands China's position, attaches importance to China's concerns, and, just like the international community, does not stand for or accept Taiwan moving toward independence."

Wang also said that China and the US will work to expand two-way trade under a reciprocal tariff reduction framework, and the two sides have also agreed to establish a trade council and an investment council and address each other's concerns over market access for agricultural products.

caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn