WASHINGTON – Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a message delivered to his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump that new substantial progress has been made on the text of the China-U.S. economic and trade agreement in the past more than one month.
In the message conveyed by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He at a meeting with Trump at the White House, Xi encouraged the two sides to keep up with the spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and resolve issues of mutual concern so as to conclude the negotiations on the agreement text as soon as possible.
Under the current situation, a healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations concerns the interests of both Chinese and American people, as well as the interests of people of other countries around the world, and it needs, in particular, their strategic leadership, Xi told Trump.
Xi also said he is ready to keep close contact with Trump through various means, and believes that China-U.S. relations will make new and greater progress under their joint guidance.
At the meeting, Liu said the Chinese and U.S. negotiation teams have over the past two days conducted fruitful consultations and reached new consensus on such important issues as the text of the economic and trade agreement.
Liu also said that the two sides, guided by the consensus reached by the two heads of state, will continue with the consultations to achieve greater progress on issues of mutual concern so as to conclude the negotiations as soon as possible and push forward the healthy and stable development of bilateral economic and trade ties.
Trump thanked Xi for his message and asked Liu to convey his warm greetings to the Chinese president, saying that the U.S.-China bilateral relationship now sees a sound and robust development, and is at a high level in history.
The U.S. president said that he is glad to see that huge progress has been achieved in the economic and trade negotiations, and that he hopes the two sides make further efforts and resolve the remaining issues in a bid to reach a comprehensive and historic agreement as soon as possible.
It will not only benefit the two countries but also the whole world, he added.
The U.S. president said he looks forward to meeting with Xi after the two sides reach the agreement, and to witnessing the great moment together with the Chinese leader.
Trump also thanked Xi for China’s decision to add fentanyl-related substances to a supplementary list of controlled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances with non-medical use, saying it is of great significance for American people and the U.S.-China anti-drug cooperation.
Liu, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of the Chinese side of the China-U.S. comprehensive economic dialogue, was invited to attend the ninth round of high-level economic and trade talks between the two nations in Washington.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Trump’s senior advisor Jared Kushner attended the meeting.
China and the United States concluded their eighth round of high-level economic and trade consultations in Beijing last week during which the two sides discussed the related text of the agreement and achieved new progress.
