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After two days of high-stakes meetings and engagement aimed at strengthening the ties between Washington and Beijing, US President Donald Trump on Friday departed from China, marking the conclusion of his state visit to the country.
As Trump departed, he gave his signature fist pump and a final wave as he boarded Air Force One. Trump was seen bidding farewell to Chinese officials at Beijing Capital Airport as he wrapped up what has been described as a "historic" visit, which included high-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior leadership. Earlier in the day, speaking to the press during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing, Trump expressed his gratitude to Xi and his representative. He also stated that the Chinese President is expected to visit the United States around September 24, describing the proposed trip as a "reciprocal" visit, referring to the US's reciprocal trade with China. "I just want to thank President Xi and all of his representatives--we've become friendly with all of them; they're great people. It's an honour to be here, and we'll be back. And I believe on September 24th, or thereabouts, President Xi is going to be coming to the United States, and we will be reciprocal--like reciprocal trade, the visit will be reciprocal," Trump said. He added that both sides would continue to strengthen engagement, stating that discussions between the two countries would be open and direct. "We're going to lay it on the line, and we're going to have--you're going to walk away, I hope, hopefully very impressed, like I'm very impressed with China," Trump added. Trump, earlier, met with Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai, the highly secure leadership compound of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing. The meeting between the two leaders began Friday morning, with Trump and Xi seen walking through the gardens of the sprawling compound before holding a private discussion away from the media, as reported by CNN. Zhongnanhai, often described as China's equivalent of the White House, serves as the central leadership complex of the Chinese Communist Party. Meanwhile, on Thursday, President Xi held a welcome ceremony and banquet for Trump during the state visit, and the two leaders also visited the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Officials said the interactions enhanced mutual understanding, strengthened communication, and injected "stability and certainty" into global affairs. The visit marks Trump's first trip to China in nine years, with both sides emphasising continued dialogue and coordination on international and regional issues. (ANI)
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