Trump lavishly praised Xi Jinping… "A very dignified and respected president"

U.S. President Donald Trump on the 30th called Xi Jinping, Chinese state president, "a very dignified and respected Chinese president."

President Trump said this in his opening remarks at the U.S.-China summit held at Naraemaru at Gimhae Air Base in Busan, saying, "It is a great honor to be with someone who has been my friend for a very long time."

President Trump said, "We have already agreed on many things and I think we will agree on more now," and "President Xi is the great leader of a great country and I think we will have a fantastic relationship for a long time."

The face-to-face meeting between President Trump and President Xi is the first since the start of Trump's second-term administration. It is also the first in six years and four months since they met on the sidelines of the G20 summit held in Osaka, Japan in June 2019.

Just before the start of the private summit, President Xi told President Trump, "China's development goes along with the 'Make America Great Again' vision."

President Xi said, "Since President Trump's re-election, we have had three phone calls and exchanged letters several times and have maintained close contact."

He continued, "Under joint leadership, U.S.-China relations have overall maintained stability," and "In consultations held in Kuala Lumpur a few days ago, the economic and trade teams of the two countries reached a basic agreement on their respective major concerns." He also explained, "This has created the necessary conditions for today's talks."

President Xi said, "The two countries have different national conditions and therefore cannot always view matters from the same perspective," adding, "It is perfectly normal for occasional frictions to arise between the world's two major economic powers."

He also said, "The leaders of the two countries are holding the helm of the great ship called U.S.-China relations," and "Even with winds and waves and various challenges, we must keep to the correct course, navigate through a complex environment, and ensure that the great ship of U.S.-China relations sails stably."

Beijing=Kim Eun-jung, correspondent kej@hankyung.com