Trump praises Xi Jinping as 'tough negotiator' after meeting again 6 years ago
US President Donald Trump warmly welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at Gimhae Air Base in South Korea ahead of important talks taking place this morning (October 30).
CNN reported that Mr. Trump stepped out first and was greeted by the Chinese leader. "It's nice to see you again. I'm sure we'll have a successful meeting," Mr. Trump said as he shook hands with Mr. Xi on the red carpet, in front of the American and Chinese flags.
"However, Xi Jinping is a tough negotiator, which is not good. We understand each other well," the US president added.
Asked if he expected to sign a trade deal with China, Mr. Trump replied: "Maybe. We will have a deep understanding. We have a great relationship, the United States and China have always had a great relationship."
President Trump previously called Mr Xi a "friend", but also described the Chinese leader as someone who is "extremely difficult to make a deal with".
For his part, Mr. Xi praised Mr. Trump's peacemaking efforts, even though "Beijing and Washington do not always share the same views."
"Due to different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye, and it is normal for the world's two leading economies to occasionally have frictions," Xi stressed. The Chinese leader added that despite their differences, Beijing and Washington needed to ensure "the giant ship of bilateral relations continues to move forward steadily."
According to the Chinese president, he appreciated "President Trump's great contributions to the signing of the Gaza ceasefire agreement" and witnessing the peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
On the evening of October 28, Mr. Trump predicted that the meeting with Mr. Xi in the port city of Busan, South Korea, would last 3-4 hours. This is the first direct meeting between the two leaders during Mr. Trump's second term as president. The two leaders are expected to agree on a framework to manage bilateral economic relations.
