China, U.S. sign another $207B in deals during visit by Trump
China and the United States on Thursday signed additional business agreements valued at $206.5 billion during President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, although some were less than binding commercial contracts.
The agreements — signed at a ceremony attended by Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping — included sales of U.S.-made chipsets, jet engines and auto parts.
Many of the contracts appeared to represent purchases Chinese mobile-phone makers, airlines and other customers would have made anyway that were saved for signing during Trump’s visit. Others in- cluded a cooperation framework on shale gas and a memorandum of understanding on industrial development
Trump also emerged from a lengthy meeting and declared that he believed he and Xi together can solve “probably all” the world’s problems.
“I look forward to many years of success and friendship working together to solve not only our problems, but world problems, and problems of great danger and security,” Trump said between meetings at the Great Hall of the People. “I believe we can solve almost all of them and probably all of them.”
Trump and Xi were discussing a series of thorny issues during Trump’s second day in China, including China’s willingness to put the squeeze on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, and the U.S.-China trade relationship.
Trump projected confidence on both fronts. He said both he and Xi believe “a solution” exists on North Korea. And he said the countries’ trade relationship — which he complained had gotten “so far out of kilter” — would be made “fair and it’ll be tremendous for both of us.”
Xi, meanwhile, said U.S.-China relations were at a “new historic starting point.” He said China was willing to work with the U.S. “with mutual respect, seeking mutual benefits, to focus on cooperation and control our differences.”
Before the meetings, China rolled out the red carpet for Trump, treating him to an elaborate welcome ceremony on the plaza
outside the Great Hall of the People.
Trump looked on as a Chinese honor guard played the national anthems of both countries, cannons boomed and sol- diers marched. He clapped and smiled as children waving U.S. and Chinese flags and flowers screamed and jumped wildly.
White House officials said Trump would underscore his public messages about North Korea during his private talks with Xi. China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and Trump is expected to demand that the nation curtail its dealings with Pyongyang and expel North Korean workers from its borders. Trump has praised China for taking some steps against Pyongyang, but he wants them to do more.
China is increasingly disenchanted with North Korea over its nuclear weapons development but remains wary of using its full economic leverage over its traditional ally. It fears triggering a collapse of the North’s totalitarian regime that could cause an influx of refugees into northeastern China and culminate in a U.S.-allied unified Korea on its border.
China also poured on the pomp and pageantry for Trump’s arrival Wednesday. The president and first lady Melania Trump were greeted at the airport by dozens of children. The couple spent the first hours of their visit on a private tour of the Forbidden City, Beijing’s ancient imperial palace.