Chinese President Xi Jinping stated on Thursday at the summit in Busan with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, that «it is normal for the two largest economies in the world to have friction from time to time». The Chinese leader, however, noted that despite the differences, he has always believed that the development of the Asian nation «goes hand in hand» with Trump's vision to «Make America Great Again», referring to the Republican's famous slogan. «Over the years, I have publicly declared on numerous occasions that China and the United States must be partners and friends,» Xi added, before praising the «conducive atmosphere» of today's meeting in Busan after the economic teams of both countries reached a «basic consensus» on Sunday in Kuala Lumpur. Xi and Trump began their meeting on Thursday, the first since the Republican returned to power, in search of an agreement to resolve the trade disputes facing the world's two largest economies. As they shook hands in front of television cameras, flanked by flags of both countries, Trump expressed his conviction that both will have a «very successful meeting», although he also joked that Xi «is a very tough negotiator, and that is not good». The leaders, who have not seen each other since the G20 held in Osaka (Japan) in 2019, are expected to address a broad agenda that, in addition to tariffs, includes the future of TikTok in the U.S.
