Trump Says He Reached ‘Great Trade Deal’ with Xi

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he reached a “great trade deal” with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a high-level summit in Beijing on Friday. Trump also claimed that China offered support regarding efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump visited Beijing to finalize agreements in sectors including agriculture, aviation, and artificial intelligence, while also seeking to ease tensions between the two global powers over geopolitical issues, including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Although Trump described Xi as a “great leader” and a “friend,” the Chinese president maintained a comparatively cautious tone. However, Trump said the visit produced “many positive outcomes.”

According to AFP, while walking with Xi in the gardens of Zhongnanhai — the leadership compound located beside Beijing’s Forbidden City — Trump said, “We made some fantastic trade deals that are great for both countries.”

Speaking to Fox News after the first day of talks, Trump said discussions in Beijing had gone well and claimed Xi had agreed to several key U.S. demands.

Regarding the Iran conflict, Trump said Xi had effectively assured him that China was not preparing to provide military support to Tehran. He also alleged that Iran had effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz.

“He said they would not provide military equipment… he stressed that very strongly,” Trump told Fox News.

Trump further stated that Xi wanted to see the Strait of Hormuz reopened and said, “If there is any way I can help, I would like to do so.”

When asked whether the two leaders discussed Iran, China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday issued a statement calling for a “comprehensive and lasting ceasefire.”

The statement also said international shipping routes should be reopened as quickly as possible in response to global concerns.

Despite Thursday’s warm handshake and ceremonial welcome, tensions resurfaced over Taiwan. Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that any miscalculation on the Taiwan issue could push the two countries toward “conflict.”

Trump did not address Taiwan directly during his Fox News interview, although U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later told CNBC that the president would speak more on the matter “in the coming days.”

Trade was expected to dominate Friday’s talks. Trump told Fox News that a major business agreement had already been completed, claiming Xi agreed to purchase “200 large” Boeing aircraft.

However, shares of Boeing fell after Trump’s remarks, as market analysts had expected even larger orders from China.

Trump also said Beijing expressed interest in buying U.S. oil and soybeans. China, a major importer of Iranian oil, had sharply reduced purchases of American oil and soybeans in recent years, turning instead toward Brazil for agricultural imports.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two leaders also discussed creating “regulatory frameworks” for the use of artificial intelligence.

Bessent described the United States and China as the world’s “two AI superpowers,” although U.S. export restrictions on advanced technology to China remain a sensitive issue between the two countries.

Trump’s visit marks the first trip to China by a sitting U.S. president in nearly a decade.

During Thursday’s discussions, Xi reportedly referenced the “Thucydides Trap” — a political theory suggesting that conflict becomes more likely when a rising power challenges an established superpower. However, Xi expressed confidence that both nations could overcome such risks.

In a social media post early Friday, Trump said Xi had “very politely” referred to the United States as “possibly a declining nation.” Trump argued Xi was referring to the period under former President Joe Biden rather than his own administration.

“Two years ago, we truly were a declining nation,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Now the United States is the most talked-about nation in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will become stronger and better than ever before.”

Trump also claimed that Xi congratulated him on his “many extraordinary achievements.”