US President Trump told Xi Jinping on Thursday that "it's an honor to be your friend," even as his Chinese counterpart offered warnings about avoiding a possible clash between the two nations during their much-watched bilateral meeting, the AP reports. The stark contrast in tone underscored just how far apart the leaders remain on thorny issues including the war in Iran, trade disputes, and Washington's relationship with Taiwan—and suggested that Trump and Xi's highly anticipated meetings are likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than major breakthroughs. The two-hour meeting was behind closed doors, but the official Xinhua news agency reported that Xi told Trump that if Taiwan is not handled correctly, the US and China risk "clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy."
The meeting followed public opening remarks at the Great Hall of the People, where Trump was full of platitudes, saying of Xi, "You're a great leader. Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it's true." "It's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend," Trump said before promising that "the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before." Xi was darker in his opening remarks, expressing hope that the US and China can avoid conflict while saying that history and the world were asking "whether the two countries can transcend the 'Thucydides Trap' and forge a new model for relations between major powers." China's leader used a term popular in foreign policy studies, referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established power, the result is often war.
The meeting followed a sweeping greeting for Trump that featuring booming cannons and a band playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" and China's national anthem. School children in bright colors offered a welcome routine, jumping as the girls waved flowers and the boys hoisted American and Chinese flags while the two leaders walked past them. The Republican president was subsequently planning to visit the Temple of Heaven, a religious complex dating to the 15th century, before attending a state banquet with Xi. Leaving the Xi-Trump meeting at the Great Hall of the People, SpaceX chief Elon Musk, who spent months helping the Trump administration cut the federal workforce, called what occurred "wonderful" and said it featured "many good things."
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