Donald Trump hails ‘tremendous’ progress in talks with China’s Xi Jinping

DONALD Trump said “lots of very potentially bad problems will be going away” after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together at Mar-a-Lago, Friday, April 7, 2017, in Palm Beach. Picture: AP.

PRESIDENT Donald Trump said he has developed an “outstanding” relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping after meeting with the leader, who Mr Trump has previously criticised as a menace to the United States.

The widely anticipated meeting of the leaders of the world’s two largest economies was largely overshadowed by the US missile strikes at Syria. Those strikes added weight to Mr Trump’s threat last week to act unilaterally against North Korea’s weapons program.

Mr Trump said in a brief appearance before reporters that he and Mr Xi made “tremendous progress” in their first face-to-face talks and that he believe “lots of very potentially bad problems will be going away.”

Mr Trump was meeting again with his Chinese counterpart on Friday, with US missile strikes on Syria adding weight to his threat to act unilaterally against North Korea. Picture: AP.

He did not elaborate on the progress or the problems. But the two days of talks at Mr Trump’s private estate in Florida were expected to focus on what Mr Trump has described as China’s unfair trade practices and inadequate efforts to halt North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile program.

Mr Xi said the delegations covered important topics and have established a good friendship and working relationship. He said he believes the US and China can continue to develop the relationship, noting that it’s the historic responsibility of both countries to work toward peace and stability.

The US announced the missile barrage shortly after Mr Trump and Xi wrapped up dinner Thursday. The strikes were retaliation against Syrian President Bashar Assad for a chemical weapons attack against civilians caught up in his country’s long civil war.

Syrian President Bashar Assad decried a US missile strike on a government-controlled air base where US officials say the Syrian military launched a deadly chemical attack earlier this week. Picture: AP.

China has sided with Russia at the United Nations in opposing condemnation of Assad’s government but has not become directly involved in the conflict. On Friday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China opposed the use of chemical weapons by any party under any circumstances but didn’t comment on the US attack.

The timing of the attack could send a message to the Chinese. Mr Trump told the Financial Times in the days before Mr Xi’s arrival that he is prepared to go it alone on North Korea if China doesn’t work with the US to crack down on North Korea’s nuclear program Military options against North Korea are much riskier than those against Syria.

US President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk together at the Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, April 7, 2017. Picture: AFP.

It has already tested nuclear weapons and South Korea’s capital, Seoul, is in range of North Korean artillery.

Taking action against North Korea has been a sticking point in US talks with the Chinese. China is North Korea’s most important ally and trading partner. Before Thursday’s dinner, Mr Trump said he and Xi already had had a long discussion and had “developed a friendship,” and then joked, “I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing.” However, Mr Xi apparently got something out of dinner. Chinese state media reported late on Thursday that Mr Trump has accepted Mr Xi’s invitation to visit China this year. The official Xinhua News Agency said Mr Trump will travel to China at an “early date” in 2017, but gave no details.