U.S President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be taking a visit to the White House on September 24.
Trump was on a two-day visit to Beijing, meeting with his Chinese counterpart on key issues such as trade, Taiwan, Iran, and the broader U.S-China relations.
The American president raised a toast during his meeting with Xi, expressing gratitute and extending an invitation to the White House.
“Thank you again, President Xi, for this beautiful welcome, and tonight, it is my honour to extend an invitation to you, Madam Peng, to visit us at the White House this September 24 and we look forward to it, and I’d now like to raise your glass and propose a toast to the rich and enduring ties between the American and Chinese people,” he said.
Trump further added, “It’s a very special relationship, and I want to thank you again. This has been an amazing time.”
The White House released a statement, “President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China. The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation.”
The two leaders met in a closed-door session on Thursday, estimated to be around two hours and 15 minutes.
Trump later told Fox News that Xi was not going to give any military equipment to Iran and wanted to help reopen the maritime passage the Strait of Hormuz. According to Trump, Xi’s stance was a “big statement” as China is currently Iran’s biggest oil customer.
He also reported on a trade deal with China, where Xi agreed to buy Boeing jets and American soybeans.
Despite last year’s intense tariff war, where both countries imposed tariffs of over 100%, the United States and China are reportedly looking to strengthen their economic relationship. Top business executives like Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook also accompanied Trump to the visit, with Musk describing the meetings as “wonderful”.
While Taiwan was a core issue on the agenda, there was no mention of it in the White House’s readout. According to a regional source speaking to CBS News’ Margaret Brennan, China brought up Taiwan in the talks. The United States acknowledged Beijing’s stance and reiterated Washington’s position before moving on to the next topic.
