BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping took a phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday evening.
Xi said that recalibrating the direction of the giant ship that is China-U.S. relations requires the two presidents to take the helm and set the right course. It is imperative to steer clear of the various disturbances and disruptions, he said.
Noting that the two countries’ lead officials recently held an economic and trade meeting in Geneva at the suggestion of the U.S. side, Xi said it marked an important step forward in resolving the relevant issues through dialogue and consultation and was welcomed by both societies and the international community.
“It proved that dialogue and cooperation is the only right choice,” he said.
The two sides need to make good use of the economic and trade consultation mechanism already in place and seek win-win results in the spirit of equality and respect for each other’s concerns, said Xi.
“The Chinese side is sincere about this and, at the same time, has its principles,” he said.
Noting that the Chinese always honor and deliver what has been promised, Xi said both sides should make good on the agreement reached in Geneva.
He said China has been seriously and earnestly executing the agreement, and the U.S. side should acknowledge the progress already made and remove the negative measures taken against China.
The two sides should enhance communication in such fields as foreign affairs, economy and trade, military, and law enforcement to build consensus, clear up misunderstandings, and strengthen cooperation, said Xi.
He emphasized that the United States must handle the Taiwan question with prudence so that the fringe separatists bent on “Taiwan independence” will not be able to drag China and America into the dangerous terrain of confrontation and even conflict.
Trump, for his part, said that he has great respect for President Xi and that the U.S.-China relationship is very important.
He said the U.S. wants the Chinese economy to do very well and that the U.S. and China working together can get a lot of great things done.
The U.S. will honor the one-China policy, he said. The meeting in Geneva was very successful and produced a good deal, said Trump, adding that the U.S. will work with China to execute the deal.
The U.S. loves to have Chinese students coming to study in America, he said.
Xi welcomed Trump to visit China again, for which Trump expressed heartfelt appreciation.
The two presidents agreed that their teams should continue implementing the Geneva agreement and hold another round of meetings as soon as possible.
