Chinese President Xi Jinping said a state dinner in honour of US President Donald Trump that both countries would lose in war and only be able to prosper via cooperation.
In the meeting, Xi was enthusiastic and frank, implying the rebirth of China and Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) effort may compliment each other as the two countries look for a more steady alliance.
In a much-anticipated toast in Beijing, Xi called the partnership between the two major economies “the most vital bilateral relationship in the world,” warning both nations “have to make sure it succeeds and not to make mistakes.”
“The people of China and the United States each have their own advantages,” Xi said. “The revival of China and the desire to make America great can be compatible. We can help each other to accomplish things and to make the world a better place to live.
“Our two countries should be allies, not adversaries,” he said, again stressing the need of working together and adding that “there has to be mutual respect if the relationship is to move forward.
Earlier Xi said he and Trump had had profound exchanges of views on bilateral ties and other global issues during their talks. “President Trump and I have agreed to build a constructive, stable and strategic China-US relationship that will promote steady and sustainable development between our two countries.”
Trump responded by inviting Xi to the White House September 24.
“The relationship between the American and Chinese people goes back to the founding of America,” he said. Samuel Shaw, the first American consul in China, came in 1784 aboard the first commerce ship to enter China… Over the course of more than two centuries, that first link has developed into one of the most important relationships in world history.”
Trump also spoke of reciprocal respect, citing how supporters of President George Washington in China had sent a stone plaque for the Washington Monument, carved with an homage from a Chinese official who called Washington a “hero among men.”
He ended with a statement of common principles of commitment, courage and achievement: “The world is extraordinary when our two countries join in harmony.
