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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for closer cooperation with the United States, telling US President Donald Trump that the world’s two largest economies should aim to be “partners and friends” despite their differences. The two leaders met in Busan, South Korea, marking their first in-person talks in several years, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. “China and the US can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world,” Xi said as the talks began. Welcoming Trump, Xi added, “President Trump, it is a great pleasure to meet you, and it feels very warm seeing you again because it’s been many years. Since your re-election, we have spoken on the phone three times, exchanged several letters, and stayed in close contact.” Acknowledging past frictions, the Chinese leader continued, “Under our joint guidance, China-US relations have remained stable on the whole. Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye with each other, and it is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then.” #WATCH | Chinese President Xi Jinping says, “President Trump, it is a great pleasure to meet you, and it feels very warm seeing you again because it’s been many years. Since your re-election, we have spoken on the phone three times, exchanged several letters, and stayed in close… https://t.co/oTG42Qj8Bj pic.twitter.com/Isv2nPURCh — ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2025 Also hailing Trump for his peace efforts in the Middle East, Xi Jinping said, “President Trump, you care a lot about world peace, and you’re very enthusiastic about settling various regional hotspot issues. I appreciate your great contribution to the recent conclusion of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.” “During your visit to Malaysia, you witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration on Peace along the Cambodia-Thailand border, to which you had provided input,” he added. “China has been helping in our own way to properly settle the border disputes between Cambodia and Thailand. We have also been promoting peace talks to resolve other hotspot issues. The world today is confronted with many tough problems,” the Chinese President said. Trump, who earlier described the meeting as one he expected to be “very successful,” praised Xi as a “tough negotiator” and said he looked forward to “a constructive discussion” on trade and global security. The Busan meeting is seen as a key step in recalibrating US-China relations amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. This meeting drew global attention as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilise ties strained over trade, technology, and security issues. Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs since returning to the White House for a second term, combined with China’s retaliatory limits on exports of rare earth elements, has given the meeting newfound urgency. There is a mutual recognition that neither side wants to risk blowing up the world economy in ways that could jeopardise their own country’s fortunes. Aboard Air Force One on his way to South Korea, Trump told reporters he may reduce tariffs that he placed on China earlier this year related to its role in making fentanyl. ALSO READ | US Ends Automatic Extensions Of Work Permits For Certain Immigrants
