US president Donald Trump called told Xi Jinping that China 'helping Iran' was unacceptable, during the China president' Washington visit, said US Ambassador to China David Perdue on Friday.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
"We made it very clear to them weeks ago that, you know, any help that they would give Iran, whether it be direct or indirect, whether it be intelligence or parts or military equipment, was totally unacceptable. President Trump made that very clear again yesterday. This is an ongoing drumbeat," said Perdue said in a CNBC interview.
"These two leaders are beginning to develop a relationship of somewhat trust and also working on the issues. I mean, this was a very candid and open conversation, and every time they talk, I think we see a different level of intimacy about these difficult issues that we're dealing with," he added.
Xi Jinping made a three-day state visit to Washington at the invitation of Trump, with the trip focused on maintaining stability in ties between the world's two largest economies. Xi and Trump held a 90-minute closed-door meeting on Thursday, discussing the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, according to China's official readout. No major breakthroughs were reported on trade or artificial intelligence.
Although, Trump made a post on social media hailing the "productive meeting", saying, "Tremendous things will be happening. Like almost everyone else, he seemed to like calling the poorly and inaccurately named Artificial Intelligence to a far more accurate and important name, SUPER INTELLIGENCE. That would be “SUPER!” Everyone last night agreed, also."
Trump also hosted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at a black-tie state dinner attended by prominent US technology executives and other business leaders. Earlier, Trump gave Xi a tour of parts of the White House, including the Oval Office, a gallery of presidential portraits, the new helicopter landing pad and the ballroom under construction. Melania Trump and Peng separately visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art.
On Friday, Trump was taking Xi to the National Archives, where the US Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights are preserved. The visit comes as the US marks its 250th anniversary, with Trump saying he wanted to show Xi some of the country's historic treasures. Xi's visit also coincides with China's Mid-Autumn Festival, a major family holiday.
