Xi, Trump chart course for Sino-US ties

Relevant departments should strengthen dialogue and exchanges and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said, adding that China and the US should also engage in positive interactions on regional and international platforms.

Su Xiaohui, an associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, said the meeting shows that putting the ties back on track requires joint efforts, particularly by the US, and the two sides should spare no efforts in addressing specific issues that were raised.

"The bilateral ties should advance, not backpedal, and the impetus stems from the tangible actions to be taken by both sides in realizing the fresh consensus of the two leaders," she added.

When explaining that China has no intention of challenging or supplanting anyone, Xi said: "Our focus has always been on managing China's own affairs well, improving ourselves, and sharing development opportunities with all countries across the world. And that is an important secret to our success."

On the calendar ahead for multilateral diplomacy, China will host APEC 2026 and the US will host the G20 summit next year.

Xi said the two sides can support each other in making both meetings productive to promote world economic growth and improve global economic governance.

Trump said the US expects both events to be successful, adding that the two countries together "can get many great things done for the world" and "have many years of success".

Diao, the Renmin University of China professor, noted that both APEC and the G20 are major mechanisms for economic governance, and the two countries exchanging support for hosting these events "will introduce a boost to world economic growth and the perfection of the global governance system".

In terms of top-level exchanges, the two presidents "agreed to maintain interactions on a regular basis", the Foreign Ministry said, adding that Trump said he looked forward to visiting China early next year and invited Xi to visit the US.

Since Trump's reelection, the two leaders have spoken on the phone three times, exchanged several letters and stayed in close contact.

"Under our joint guidance, China-US relations have remained stable on the whole," Xi said at the start of the talks.

Trump described Xi as a "very, very distinguished and respected" leader and said that Xi had been his friend "for a long time".

Xi emphasized that China's development and revitalization "goes hand in hand" with Trump's vision to "Make America Great Again".

He said he is ready to continue working with Trump to "build a solid foundation for China-US relations and create a sound atmosphere for the development of both countries".

Su, the CIIS scholar, said head-of-state diplomacy "plays an irreplaceable role in managing China-US ties", and it is essential for both countries to chart a clear course via diplomacy between the two presidents.

"The meeting between them was highly strategic and focused on matters that are key in the long run," she said.

Contact the writers at zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn