Xi Jinping and Donald Trump Meet in Busan to Strengthen China-U.S. Cooperation

Department of Strategic Research, Studies and International Relations 30-10-2025

This Thursday, October 30, 2025, President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Busan to reaffirm stable bilateral relations. They discussed economic momentum, trade cooperation, and global governance, emphasizing dialogue over confrontation. Both leaders agreed to deepen collaboration and support upcoming APEC and G20 summits.

President Xi noted that under our joint guidance, China-U.S. relations have remained stable on the whole. China and the United States should be partners and friends. This is what history has taught us and what reality needs. Given our different national conditions, we do not always see eye to eye with each other and it is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have frictions now and then. You and I are at the helm of China-U.S. relations. In the face of winds, waves and challenges, we should stay the right course, navigate through the complex landscape, and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-U.S. relations. I am ready to continue working with you to build a solid foundation for China-U.S. relations and create a sound atmosphere for the development of both countries.

President Xi emphasized that there is a good momentum in China’s economic development. In the first three quarters of this year, China’s economy increased by 5.2 percent, and import and export trade in goods with the rest of the world expanded by 4 percent. This is not an easy accomplishment given the domestic and external difficulties. The Chinese economy is like a vast ocean, big, resilient and promising. We have the confidence and capability to navigate all kinds of risks and challenges.

At its fourth plenary session, the 20th CPC Central Committee deliberated over and adopted the recommendations for the economic and social development plan over the next five years. Over the past seven decades and more, we have been working from generation to generation on the same blueprint to make it a reality. We have no intention to challenge or supplant anyone. Our focus has always been on managing China’s own affairs well, improving ourselves, and sharing development opportunities with all countries across the world. And that is an important secret to our success. China will further deepen reform across the board, expand opening up, and promote higher-quality economic growth while achieving an appropriate increase in economic output, and advance well-rounded human development and common prosperity for all. This will also expand the space for cooperation between China and the United States.

President Xi noted that the two teams had an in-depth exchange of views on important economic and trade issues, and reached consensus on solving various issues. They should work out and finalize the follow-up steps as soon as possible, and ensure that the common understandings are effectively upheld and implemented, to inject confidence into the two countries as well as the global economy through solid deliverables. China-U.S. economic and trade relations have experienced ups and downs recently, and this has also given the two sides some insights. The business relationship should continue to serve as the anchor and driving force for China-U.S. relations, not a stumbling block or a point of friction. The two sides should think big and recognize the long-term benefit of cooperation, and must not fall into a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation. The two teams can continue their talks in the spirit of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, and continuously shorten the list of problems and lengthen the list of cooperation.

President Xi stressed that dialogue is better than confrontation. China and the U.S. should maintain communication through various channels and at various levels to enhance mutual understanding. There is good potential for the two countries to work together on combating illegal immigration and telecom fraud, anti-money laundering, artificial intelligence, and responding to infectious diseases. The competent departments should strengthen dialogue and exchanges and carry out mutually beneficial cooperation. China and the U.S. should also engage in positive interactions on regional and international platforms. The world today is confronted with many tough problems. China and the United States can jointly shoulder our responsibility as major countries, and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of our two countries and the whole world.

China will host APEC 2026, and the U.S. the G20 summit next year. The two sides can support each other in making both summits productive to promote world economic growth and improve global economic governance.

President Trump said that it is a great honor to meet President Xi. China is a great country. President Xi is a well respected great leader, and has been my good friend for many years. We have always got along well. The United States and China have always had a fantastic relationship, and it will be even better. We will make both China and the U.S. even better. China is the biggest partner of the U.S. Together, our two countries can get many great things done for the world and have many years of success. China will host APEC 2026, and the U.S. will host the G20 summit next year. We expect both to be successful.

The two presidents agreed to enhance cooperation in economic, trade, energy and other fields and to encourage more people-to-people exchanges.

The two presidents agreed to maintain interactions on a regular basis. President Trump looked forward to visiting China early next year, and invited President Xi to visit the United States.

Cai Qi, Wang Yi, and He Lifeng, among others, attended the meeting