Washington (Web Desk): Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the United States and Iran to resume diplomatic engagement and work towards ending their conflict during a closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, while Trump described his talks with the Chinese leader as “great”.
According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, President Xi said on Thursday that Beijing has consistently upheld the principle that the sovereignty and security of every country must be respected.
He added that China has sought to play a constructive role in reducing tensions and promoting negotiations.
Xi voiced support for Washington and Tehran returning to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, expressing hope that both sides would quickly come back to the negotiating table, settle their differences through dialogue, and reach a comprehensive settlement covering the nuclear issue and other matters in order to restore peace.
The United States and Israel launched military action against Iran on February 28, after which Pakistan played a role in facilitating a ceasefire on April 8. Islamabad subsequently hosted more than 20 hours of discussions involving American and Iranian officials.
After several weeks of diplomatic efforts, Pakistan and Qatar helped broker a June 18 agreement that established a framework for further talks and allowed the two sides 60 days to negotiate a longer-term arrangement aimed at bringing the conflict to an end.
Despite the agreement, the situation deteriorated again as both sides resumed retaliatory attacks, keeping tensions high.
During his meeting with Trump, Xi also called on Washington to maintain its opposition to what Beijing describes as “Taiwan independence” and to deal with the Taiwan issue carefully, saying this would help create stronger foundations for strategic cooperation and stable relations between China and the United States.
Xi said China’s position on protecting its national unity and territorial integrity was “crystal clear”.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, while authorities in Taipei have maintained their claim to independence since 1949.
Xi further stressed that a stable and constructive relationship between China and the United States could not be built through temporary measures or achieved overnight. He called for the two countries to put into practice their shared vision of developing a constructive relationship based on strategic stability.
Trump, meanwhile, told reporters that he had a “great meeting” with Xi. He made the remarks while responding to shouted questions before the two leaders boarded the Marine One helicopter on the White House grounds for a brief tour.
Trump also spoke about Xi’s interest in granite, saying the Chinese president “has great interest in granite” and “likes granite”.
“He’s an expert on stone aside from many other things. And he loves good granite,” Trump added.
Xi departed the White House following the bilateral discussions but was expected to return later alongside his wife, Peng Liyuan, for a state dinner.
At the same time, US First Lady Melania Trump accompanied Peng on a visit to the National Museum of Asian Art while Trump and Xi continued their talks.
Xi arrived in the United States on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, marking his first trip to the country in more than a decade.
He is also the first Chinese leader to make two state visits to the United States since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1979.
Xi’s first state visit to the US took place in 2015, when he was hosted by then-President Barack Obama.
His latest visit follows Trump’s state visit to China in May, during which the two countries agreed on a “new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability”.