On Thursday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump warmly welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Gimhae Air Force Base in Busan, South Korea, as the two are set to embark on a high-level meeting considered critical.
According to CNN, Trump was first to descend from his aircraft as Xi Jinping approached to greet him. Chinese and American flags fluttered on both sides of the red carpet. The two leaders shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, with Trump smiling and saying: "Very glad to see you again. I believe this will be a very successful meeting—I have no doubt about it."
He added: "But he (Xi Jinping) is a very tough negotiator—that's not easy to deal with. We know each other very well."
When asked if he expected a trade deal, Trump replied: "It's possible. We’ll reach good consensus; our relationship has always been good."
Trump has previously called Xi Jinping a "friend," but has also admitted that "reaching a deal with him is not easy."
At an unguarded microphone on Tuesday night, Trump revealed that the meeting was expected to last three to four hours.
The venue was simply decorated, with blue-and-white flowers and national flags of both countries placed on the meeting table. Seated opposite Xi Jinping, Trump said: "It is a great honor to meet with my old friend. We've known each other for many years."
He praised Xi Jinping as an "outstanding and respected leader," heading "a great country."
"We are going to discuss many topics. I believe we've already reached a lot of consensus on many matters, and will reach agreement on more going forward," Trump said, referring to the U.S.-China trade talks held between officials last weekend.
"We are going to discuss many topics. I believe we've already reached a lot of consensus on many matters, and will reach agreement on more going forward," Trump said, referring to the U.S.-China trade talks held between officials last weekend.
Xi Jinping: U.S. and China Have Different Circumstances, But Should Stay the Right Course
Before the talks, Xi Jinping pointed out that, given the two countries' differing circumstances, "We cannot always agree on everything," but as the world's two largest economies, friction is "normal."
He emphasized that both countries should "stay the right course to ensure the giant ship of China-U.S. relations steers steadily forward."
Xi said: "I've always believed that China's development is closely related to America's vision of greatness."
He reiterated: "China and the U.S. should be partners and friends. This is not only a lesson of history, but also a need of reality."
Xi also applauded Trump for his "important efforts for the Gaza ceasefire agreement," and mentioned Trump’s contributions witnessing the signing of a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.