Xi says US visit adds new substance to China-US ties

China President Xi Jinping on Friday ended his three-day visit to the United States after talks with President Donald Trump, saying the discussions had added "new substance" to China-US ties and expressing hope for "more brighter prospects" for the relationship. Trump, speaking alongside Xi at the White House on Friday morning, said the two countries had made "tremendous strides" during the visit and that American farmers would be "very happy".

The two leaders continued their discussions over tea at the White House and also visited the Archives. While there was no formal announcement on the outcomes of the visit, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the two sides had reached agreements on a subset of goods that could be traded on more favourable terms. A Chinese readout also said the two countries' economic and trade teams had reached a new joint arrangement.

Xi said he looked forward to meeting Trump twice more this year, at the APEC Summit in China and the G20 Summit in the US. "I do welcome Mr President and the First Lady to visit China," Xi said during the meeting in the Red Room of the White House.

At the meeting, US First Lady Melania Trump and China's First Lady Peng Liyuan sat together on a sofa beneath a Hudson River School painting, while Xi and Trump sat in separate chairs. Tea and small plates of treats were placed on the coffee table between them.

"The president and I are like two people charting the course for the great ship of China-US relations. When the president visited China in May, we agreed on the vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability," Xi said. "This time, we've agreed to add a new substance to it. The relationship will be a constructive one of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness, and reciprocity," he said. "So, from this one can see that the prospects for this relationship will get more brighter," Xi added.

Trump and Xi later visited the Archives, where the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are kept. "We're just comparing. Ours goes 250 years. Which is great, and we're proud of. Theirs goes 6,000 years. So there's a little difference between 6,000 and 250. But we're very proud of our 250," Trump said after showing Xi the Declaration of Independence.

There has been no announcement of outcomes from the visit so far. However, Greer told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that the US and China had reached agreements covering some goods, including US agricultural products and medical devices and Chinese consumer goods considered non-sensitive. "We've actually reached agreement with the Chinese on a number of these things," Greer said. He added that the Trump administration planned to release "a lot more details" on Monday.

Trump appeared to refer to these developments when he said American farmers would benefit from Xi's visit. "I think our farmers are going to be very happy. A lot of very positive things happened. But America's very happy about this visit, and I'm sure China is very happy also. Great things for both countries, and it's been just very, very productive," he said.

Xi arrived in Washington on Wednesday evening for the three-day visit, which began with a rare planeside welcome by Trump. The two leaders met for more than two hours at the White House on Thursday and came together again at a state dinner hosted by Trump in Xi's honour.

A Chinese readout of the meetings said the economic and trade teams of the two sides had reached a new joint arrangement, calling it good news for the industries and people of both countries as well as for the world economy. "Cooperation is a two-way street. To keep the economic and trade ties stable, the list of cooperation needs to be lengthened, and the list of issues shortened," a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.

The Chinese side also said Xi pointed out that both countries had strong artificial intelligence capabilities. "They may have competition, but they may cooperate even more. The right thing to do is to draw on each other's strengths, not guard against each other," the statement said. It added that Xi said AI must remain under human control and called for continued dialogue on its risks and benefits, as well as joint efforts to prevent misuse and abuse. "A people-centred approach should be upheld, and AI should be developed for the positive and for good, so that AI will serve the progress of humanity," the statement said.

The New York Times reported that the visit had so far been heavy on ceremony and had produced little in terms of policy announcements. Still, Xi said the talks had added "new substance" to the relationship, while Trump said the visit had been "very, very productive" and would bring gains for both countries.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends