LIVE | “We’re going to have a fantastic future”: Trump expresses optimism about U.S.-China relations

In his opening remarks, Xi appeared open and cordial toward Trump while noting that, “China and the US both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontations. We should be partners not rivals, we should help each other succeed and prosper and find the right way for major countries to get along with each other in the new era.”

The Chinese leader also said he looked forward to holding talks with Trump and “working together with you to set the course for and steer the giant ship of China-US relations, so as to make 2026 a historic landmark year that opens up a new chapter.”

Trump praised Xi during his official meeting in China, highlighting his leadership and expressing optimism about the future of the relationship between the two powers, saying both countries have a positive era of cooperation ahead.

“We're going to have a fantastic future together. I have such respect for China. The job you've done. You're a great leader. I say it to everybody. You're a great leader,” Trump told Xi during the meeting.

The U.S. president and the Chinese dictator starred in the expected handshake at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, after walking the red carpet and inspecting Chinese troops. Earlier, the leaders of the world's two largest economies stood at attention in the center of the square as a military band played the U.S. and Chinese national anthems.