Trump and Xi Meet After Six Years: Pledging "Fantastic Relationship" Despite US-China Tensions

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the meeting.

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will have a "fantastic relationship" with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, as the two leaders met face-to-face after six years in South Korea amid significant tensions between their nations.

"It's a great honor... I think we're going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time - and it's an honor to have you with us," he remarked during their meeting.

Trump expressed admiration for the Chinese President, describing him as "a great leader of a great country" and noted that both sides had "already agreed to a lot of things."

"We've already agreed to a lot of things, and we'll agree to some more right now, but President Xi is a great leader of a great country, and I think we're going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time, and it's an honour to have you with us," Trump stated.

President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Meeting with President Xi

In response, Xi told Donald Trump that while the two countries did not always share the same perspective, they should aim to be "partners and friends."

"China and the US can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world," Xi emphasized.

After his meeting with Xi, Trump announced that the China rare earths agreement would be effective for one year, with an option for extension. The US President characterized his meeting with his Chinese counterpart as 'a great success.'

This meeting comes after a six-year interval, with their previous talks occurring in 2019 during the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. During that earlier meeting, trade and economic tensions were the primary focus. President Xi had emphasized that mutual benefit and win-win cooperation formed the foundation of China-US trade relations, noting that both nations needed to resolve differences through equal dialogue and consultation. President Trump had concurred, stating that disputes in trade and economic matters should be properly managed, and had assured that the United States would not impose additional tariffs on Chinese exports.