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A Productive Summit with China's Xi
President Donald Trump recently hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a two-day meeting at the President’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
After talks with President Xi, President Trump called the relationship between the two men “outstanding,” with the potential to resolve many issues of concern. President Xi said, “We have engaged in deeper understanding, and have built a trust - a preliminary working relationship and friendship.”
At a press briefing after the meetings to outline the issues discussed, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that President Trump emphasized to President Xi “the need for China to take concrete steps to level the playing field for American workers, stressing repeatedly the need for reciprocal market access.”
The two leaders also discussed the urgency of the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, reaffirming their commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula, and to implementing UN Security Council resolutions. Both sides agreed “to increase cooperation and work with the international community to peacefully resolve the issue.” Mr. Tillerson noted that North Korea “creates unique problems” for the Chinese, and that the United States is prepared to “chart [its] own course” if China is “unable to coordinate” with the United States in dealing with North Korea.
Regional and maritime security was an additional area of candid discussion. “President Trump,” said Mr. Tillerson, “noted the importance of adherence to international norms in the East and South China Seas and to previous statements on non-militarization. He also noted the importance of protecting human rights and other values deeply held by Americans.”
In order to spur progress on issues, the two sides agreed to establish a new high-level framework for negotiations. The U.S.-China Comprehensive Dialogue will have four pillars, Mr. Tillerson said: a diplomatic and security dialogue; a comprehensive economic dialogue; a law enforcement and cybersecurity dialogue, and a social and cultural issues dialogue.
President Trump welcomed President Xi’s invitation to travel to China for a state visit at a future date. The two leaders agreed to work together in the meantime to ensure a successful and results-filled visit. Their goal is to undertake an ambitious agenda for their bilateral relationship that will show progress and achieve meaningful results that will benefit the citizens of both countries.