WASHINGTON: Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the United States and China to act as responsible global powers, saying their goals can be “mutually reinforcing” as the two countries seek to manage differences and improve bilateral ties.
Speaking at a White House state dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump, Xi said Washington and Beijing should explore a “new approach for major countries to get along”.
Xi said Trump had pledged to “make America great again”, while China remained committed to national rejuvenation and Chinese modernisation.
He said the two countries should work towards a relationship that could contribute to global stability and development while responsibly managing their differences.
Xi ended his speech with a toast to the health of Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, as well as continued progress in US-China relations.
Trump, in turn, struck an upbeat tone, saying he and Xi had “never gotten along better”. Earlier, the US president said the two sides had made “tremendous strides” on issues confronting the two countries.
Trump and Melania welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to the White House for the state dinner, a ceremonial highlight of Xi’s high-stakes visit to the United States.
Trump also presented Xi with a statue of a bald eagle during the dinner and told guests he would take them to see the White House’s under-construction ballroom after the event.
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The guest list underscored the importance of economic and technological ties between the two countries. Among those attending were prominent US technology executives, including Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, Apple chief executive Tim Cook, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang.
The presence of the technology leaders was particularly notable given the growing importance of artificial intelligence, semiconductors, electric vehicles and other advanced technologies in US-China economic relations.
Xi also raised concerns about the treatment of Chinese companies in the United States, saying he hoped they would be treated fairly.
His remarks highlighted an important area of continuing tension even as the two governments sought to present a more constructive atmosphere.
Washington and Beijing remain divided over trade, technology, market access and other strategic and economic issues.
Despite the warm public exchanges, the visit reflected both areas of agreement and issues that still require further discussion between Beijing and Washington. The dinner followed talks between Trump and Xi focused on a range of contentious bilateral issues.
The meeting and subsequent ceremonial events were closely watched for signs of whether the two governments could stabilise relations and reduce tensions after years of disputes over trade, technology and strategic competition.
