MAGA and China’s growth go together, Xi says in rare meeting with Trump
Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump that despite their countries’ disagreements, Beijing’s development goes hand-in-hand with his vision to make America great again.
Xi’s comment came during his first meeting with Trump in six years, which took place in the South Korean city of Busan on Thursday.
During the meeting, Xi acknowledged differences between the two powers, saying it was “normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then,” but added that Beijing and Washington “are fully able to help each other succeed and prosper together.”
Trump, in turn, described Xi as “a great leader of a great country” and said he believed the two sides would “have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time.”
The exchange came amid renewed tensions between Washington and Beijing, as Trump’s administration threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods starting November 1, following China’s restrictions on exports of rare earth metals.
The two sides have also clashed over the future of TikTok’s US operations, though officials have hinted at a “preliminary consensus” for a broader trade deal.
Trump ignored questions from reporters about his new nuclear weapons policy as the media were ushered out of the room. Earlier, he had posted online that the US would “start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis” with other countries, calling the move a reluctant but necessary step.
Xi, meanwhile, praised Trump’s “great contribution” to recent peace efforts, including the Gaza ceasefire and the resolution of border disputes in Southeast Asia.
“China and the US can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries,” Xi said, calling for cooperation to “accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world.”
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
