US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “great leader” and spoke optimistically about a “fantastic future” for ties between the world’s two largest economies as the two leaders opened a crucial summit in Beijing.

Speaking before bilateral talks began, Trump described it as an “honour” to meet Xi and referred to him as a “friend”, highlighting what he called their ability to resolve disputes through direct communication.

“We've gotten along. When there were difficulties, we worked it out. I would call you and you would call me. Whenever we had a problem we worked it out very quickly,” Trump said.

The two-day summit comes at a tense moment in US-China relations, with disagreements over trade, Taiwan, technology and the ongoing Iran conflict dominating the agenda. Despite the friction, Trump projected confidence about future cooperation.

“You're a great leader. Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway because it's true,” Trump remarked. “It’s an honour to be with you and to be your friend. We’re going to have a fantastic future together.”

Trump also highlighted the presence of leading American business executives accompanying him to Beijing, saying he had brought “the best business leaders in the world” to pay their respects to Xi. The delegation includes top CEOs such as Jensen Huang and Elon Musk.

Xi, in his response, stressed the need for “cooperation instead of confrontation” between Beijing and Washington. He warned that the world was facing rapid geopolitical changes and said stable ties between China and the United States were essential for global stability.

The summit is expected to focus heavily on trade, Taiwan, security concerns and broader efforts to prevent a fresh escalation in tensions between the two powers.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “great leader” and spoke optimistically about a “fantastic future” for ties between the world’s two largest economies as the two leaders opened a crucial summit in Beijing.

Speaking before bilateral talks began, Trump described it as an “honour” to meet Xi and referred to him as a “friend”, highlighting what he called their ability to resolve disputes through direct communication.

“We've gotten along. When there were difficulties, we worked it out. I would call you and you would call me. Whenever we had a problem we worked it out very quickly,” Trump said.

The two-day summit comes at a tense moment in US-China relations, with disagreements over trade, Taiwan, technology and the ongoing Iran conflict dominating the agenda. Despite the friction, Trump projected confidence about future cooperation.

“You're a great leader. Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway because it's true,” Trump remarked. “It’s an honour to be with you and to be your friend. We’re going to have a fantastic future together.”

Trump also highlighted the presence of leading American business executives accompanying him to Beijing, saying he had brought “the best business leaders in the world” to pay their respects to Xi. The delegation includes top CEOs such as Jensen Huang and Elon Musk.

Xi, in his response, stressed the need for “cooperation instead of confrontation” between Beijing and Washington. He warned that the world was facing rapid geopolitical changes and said stable ties between China and the United States were essential for global stability.

The summit is expected to focus heavily on trade, Taiwan, security concerns and broader efforts to prevent a fresh escalation in tensions between the two powers.