Photo : AFP / Yonhap
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached “a series of new consensuses” during their summit in Beijing on Thursday, according to China’s foreign ministry.
A foreign ministry spokesperson revealed on Friday, in response to press queries, that Trump and Xi exchanged in-depth views on major issues concerning both countries and the world.
In a statement, the spokesperson said the two presidents “reached important consensus on properly handling each other’s concerns” and agreed to boost coordination on global and regional issues, without elaborating.
The two leaders also agreed on a new vision of building a constructive U.S.-China relationship of strategic stability that is expected to provide guidance for their relations over the next three years and beyond.
In response to questions about whether Iran was discussed, the spokesperson said China’s position on the situation in Iran is that the war “should never have happened” and “has no reason to continue,” adding that “finding a solution sooner is beneficial to both the U.S. and Iran, as well as to countries in the region and the world as a whole.”
The ministry spokesperson also stressed the need to ease the situation and achieve a solution that considers all concerns of each country on issues such as Iran’s nuclear weapons through dialogue and negotiations.
With regard to the Strait of Hormuz, the spokesperson said it should be reopened “as soon as possible” to protect the flow of global industrial networks and supply chains, adding that a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire must be achieved to regain peace and stability as soon as possible.
The White House said in a press release that Trump and Xi agreed that the strait must remain open to ensure the free flow of global energy.
It said that Xi also expressed opposition to militarizing the waterway, and that both leaders agreed Iran should not have nuclear weapons.