Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday urged US President Donald Trump to oppose Taiwanese independence and handle the Taiwan issue with caution, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Xi told Trump that Beijing’s position on territorial integrity was “absolutely clear”, Xinhua reported.
The Chinese President also said he supported the US and Iran returning to the terms of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreed in June. The agreement had halted fighting, reopened the Strait of Hormuz and lifted a US naval blockade, while setting out negotiations towards a longer-term peace. The arrangement later broke down after fighting resumed, and talks have since remained deadlocked.
China is Iran’s top trading partner and Beijing has been seen as a potential interlocutor in efforts to revive negotiations.
Xi and Trump Discuss US-China Ties
Speaking in the White House Grand Foyer, Trump welcomed Xi and reflected on the relationship between the two leaders. “I’m delighted to welcome you to the beautiful White House,” Trump said.
“In May, we had the great privilege of visiting you in Beijing, where you received our delegation with spectacular and very beautiful hospitality. Now, Melania and I are honored to host you in Washington as President Xi becomes the first ever Chinese leader to make a second formal state visit to America,” the US President added.
Trump said the two leaders had developed “a truly great friendship” since his first election in 2016. “From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people,” he said.
The US president said they had made “tremendous strides” in relations between the two countries, including efforts to balance trade and increase market access for American farmers. He said they would discuss “pressing issues” involving security, technology and artificial intelligence, which he refers to as “super intelligence”.
Xi Calls for AI Cooperation
Xi said China and the US were both leaders in artificial intelligence and called for its development to remain “under human control”.
Trump has repeatedly said the US must continue developing AI rapidly to maintain its lead over China.
Xi said cooperation would not resolve every disagreement between the two countries, but argued that it remained necessary. “Cooperation may not solve every problem,” he said, adding that China and the US should also ensure that Chinese companies were treated fairly in the United States.
“We should coexist in peace,” Xi said through a translator. “As I have said many times, China and the United States, as two major countries, set to gain from cooperation and will both lose in competition. We do not need to avoid mentioning competition, but our competition should be a healthy one, and should be kept within bounds.”