US President Donald Trump concluded a historic two-day visit to Beijing on Friday, ending talks with China's Xi Jinping that were largely overshadowed by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The visit ended with a meeting at Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the ruling Communist Party and residence of its top officials, Chinese state media reported, a rare honour for a foreign leader.
Mr Trump and Mr Xi reached “a series of new consensuses” during their talks in Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday, without elaborating.
The leaders also agreed to properly handle each other's concerns and strengthen communication and co-ordination on international and regional issues, the ministry said, adding that the talks “fostered mutual understanding and deepened mutual trust”.
The talks mostly revolved around diplomatic issues such as the Strait of Hormuz and the war with Iran, but also Taiwan. “The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Mr Xi said, according to the Chinese government.
Both sides described the first day of the visit positively, although it came with a stark warning from the Chinese leader over Taiwan. Mr Xi said mishandling the issue could lead to “clashes” between Beijing and Washington.
Mr Trump told Fox News on Thursday evening that Mr Xi offered to help with Iran, although this was not confirmed by the Chinese side.
A White House readout of their meeting said the leaders agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must be reopen without curbs, to support the free flow of energy.
Iranian issue
Mr Xi stated he would limit military support for Iran, and that “he didn't like that they're charging tolls”, the US President said.
Iran claims that it is charging vessels for passage through the waterway, although it is unclear whether such tolls have been enforced and if Tehran is able to do so.
“It’s really important for China to have the Strait of Hormuz open, no tolling, no military control, and that was clear from the meeting. So we welcome that,” US trade representative Jamieson Greer told journalists from Beijing.
“The Chinese are being very pragmatic, and they don’t want to be on the wrong side of this.”
Mr Trump increased pressure on Iran to reach a diplomatic deal.
“I am not going to be much more patient,” he said in the same interview. “They should make a deal.”
The American leader also suggested an operation to track down and seize Iran's enriched uranium.
“The other thing we could do is bomb it again,” Mr Trump said. “But I would feel better getting it, and we will get it.”
Mr Trump also said that he and the Chinese leader had agreed to keep Iran from having nuclear weapons. “We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve,” he added.
In a long post on Truth Social defending America’s standing in the world, after Mr Xi appeared to refer to the US as a declining nation, Mr Trump said the Chinese leader was referring to the decline during the administration of former president Joe Biden.
“President Xi was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump administration, which includes … the military decimation of Iran (to be continued),” he wrote.
Economic deals
The visit also produced a series of commercial agreements, with Mr Trump arriving in Beijing alongside a delegation that included major business figures such as Elon Musk.
The White House had pushed for deals centred on what officials described as the “three Bs” – beef, soybeans and Boeing aircraft. Discussions also covered the aerospace, energy, agriculture and industrial sectors.
The largest agreement announced was China’s purchase of 200 Boeing aircraft as part of a broader effort to modernise its aviation fleet. Analysts noted, however, that Boeing had reportedly hoped to secure orders for as many as 500 planes.
The two countries also agreed to deepen trade co-operation and discussed the creation of US-China investment and trade forums aimed at strengthening economic ties. Beijing additionally signalled plans to increase imports of American oil, soybeans and beef, while pledging wider market access for US companies operating in China.
“The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic co-operation between our two countries. They agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” a White House official said.
Mr Trump described the agreements as “fantastic trade deals”, repeatedly referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping as his “friend” and saying relations between the two countries would “be better than ever”.
