Trump, Xi conclude 'very successful' talks but no deals announced

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump on Friday hailed their talks as "historic" and "landmark", as the American leader wrapped up his three-day visit on a high note, but no deals on any contentious issues were announced.

Both Presidents, who held several rounds of talks covering a range of global issues, including the Iran war and bilateral trade frictions, concluded their discussions with a private meeting at Zhongnanhai, the well-guarded compound in Beijing where top leaders reside.

Trump and Xi walked and talked at the well-curated compound, occasionally stopping to admire the trees and flowers in the garden.

Trump described the trip as "very successful, world-renowned, and unforgettable," according to the Chinese account.

Calling Xi "an old friend of mine," the US president said he had "great respect" for his Chinese counterpart and expressed a willingness to maintain "sincere and in-depth communication."

Trump said he looked forward to welcoming Xi to the White House.

Noting that Trump's visit was a "historic" and "landmark" one, Xi said the two sides had set a "new vision" of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability.

"We had reached important common understandings on maintaining stable economic and trade ties, expanding practical cooperation in various fields, and properly addressing each other's concerns," Xi said.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues, Xi said.

The visit is conducive to enhancing mutual understanding, deepening mutual trust and improving the well-being of the two peoples, Xi said.

"While President Trump hopes to make America great again, I am dedicated to leading the Chinese people toward national rejuvenation," Xi said, stressing that the two countries can advance their respective development and revitalisation by strengthening cooperation, official media reported.

China and the US should implement the important common understandings that have been reached, cherish the hard-won positive momentum, keep to the right direction, steer clear of disruptions, he said.

Xi said the leaders had established "a new positioning for the constructive, strategic and stable relationship" between the world's two largest economies.

He stressed that both sides should work to implement the "important consensus" reached during their discussions, signalling a desire to deepen cooperation despite longstanding areas of tension.

Both leaders also held talks on Thursday, during which Xi warned Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could trigger "clashes and even conflicts" between the two countries, the Chinese state media reported.

According to a readout of their meeting issued by the White House, Trump invited Xi and his wife to the White House on September 24, as both leaders agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, in his daily briefing to the media, parried questions about details of the common understanding reached by the leaders on contentious issues.

To questions about Xi-Trump understanding or agreement on ending the Iran war or agreement to purchase US oil in the future during the China-US leaders' summit, Guo said China is willing to work with all parties to jointly safeguard global energy security and the stability of industrial and supply chains.

He added that the urgent priority is to promote the restoration of peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East.

Asked about any understanding reached between the two leaders on China supplying the precious rare-earth metals to the US, Guo said China has always been committed to maintaining the stability and security of global industrial supply chains.

China has restricted the export of the rare-earth metals needed to manufacture everything from phones to aircraft in retaliation for the high tariffs imposed by Trump on Chinese goods.

Asked if any agreement was reached on the US permitting export of semiconductor chips to China, he said Beijing has repeatedly stated its principled position.

This is the first visit to China by a US president in nine years. Trump himself was the last US president to visit China in 2017.