President Donald Trump said he had made "fantastic trade deals" with China's Xi Jinping, as the pair met on Friday at final talks of a superpower summit that according to the US leader has also reaped a Chinese offer to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's two-day state visit to China was aimed at seeking deals in sectors including agriculture, aviation and artificial intelligence, as well as to contain differences between the two sides in a number of tense geostrategic areas – not least the Middle East war.
Trump's overtures to Xi, whom he described as a "great leader" and "friend", have so far been met with more muted tones by the Chinese leader.
But the US leader said "a lot of good" has come out of the visit.
"We've made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries," he said after a walk with Xi among the rosebushes in the gardens of Zhongnanhai, a central leadership compound next to Beijing's Forbidden City.
"We've settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn't have been able to solve," he added, without providing details.
Xi said it was a "milestone visit", and that the two sides had to date established "a new bilateral relationship, which is a relationship of constructive strategic stability".
He promised to send Trump seeds for the White House Rose Garden.
Trump considers lifting sanctions on Chinese companies buying Iranian oil
Shortly after leaving Beijing, Trump said he discussed Chinese oil companies that have been sanctioned for buying Iranian oil and will make a decision about whether to lift bans in the next few days.
The US recently imposed sanctions on several Chinese oil refiners for buying Iranian oil, including Hengli Petrochemical, one of the country's largest private refiners and a symbol of Beijing's drive to upgrade the industry.
"We talked about that and I'm going to make a decision over the next few days," he told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to the US.
In an interview with Fox News after the first day of the summit wrapped, Trump said Xi had agreed to several US wishlist points.
On the topic of the war in Iran, the US president said Xi had effectively assured his counterpart that China was not preparing to militarily aid Tehran, which has essentially closed the Strait of Hormuz.
"He said he's not going to give military equipment ... he said that strongly," Trump told Fox.
"He'd like to see the Hormuz Strait open, and said 'if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,'" Trump added.
Read moreChina's Xi promises more trade but warns Trump over Taiwan at Beijing summit
Asked whether the two leaders had discussed Iran, the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday released a statement calling for "a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire".
"Shipping lanes should be reopened as soon as possible in response to the calls of the international community," said the statement.
"There is no point in continuing this conflict which should not have happened in the first place," it added.
'No commitment' to Xi on Taiwan
The warm handshakes and pomp on Thursday were somewhat overshadowed by a blunt warning from Xi on a much longer standing geopolitical flashpoint, Taiwan.
Shortly after talks started, Chinese state media reported Xi had told Trump that missteps on the sensitive issue of Taiwan could push their two countries into "conflict".
Trump on Friday said he discussed Taiwan with Xi, but made no commitments.
"President Xi and I talked a lot about Taiwan," Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One, on his way back to Washington.
"He does not want to see a fight for independence," he added. "I didn't make a comment on it, I heard him out."
Trump added: "On Taiwan he feels very strongly, I made no committment either way."
Ahead of the summit, Trump had said he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, a departure from Washington's previous insistence that it will not consult Beijing on the matter.
Speaking to reporters on Friday en route to Washington, Trump said on the issue of arms sales: "I'll make a determination over the next fairly short period of time."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC on Thursday though that "US policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged ... as of the meeting".
Beijing had raised the topic, he said, but "we always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics".
Taipei responded Friday thanking Washington "for repeatedly expressing its support".
Boeing, oil, soybeans
Trump did not spell out on Friday the trade agreements that he said had been sealed with China.
However, in the Fox interview, Trump said one big business deal struck involved Xi agreeing to purchase "200 big" Boeing jets.
Shares of the US aviation giant fell after Trump's comments, in a sign the market had expected a more robust purchase from China.
The US president also said Beijing had also voiced interest in buying US oil and soybeans.
China, which is the key foreign customer of Iranian oil, bought small amounts of US oil before Trump imposed tariffs last year.
It has sharply slowed down purchases of US soybeans, turning instead to Brazil.
And Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that Trump and Xi were talking about setting up "guardrails" for the use of artificial intelligence.
Bessent said the world's "two AI superpowers are going to start talking", though US export controls on the advanced technology to China remain a sore point in relations.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
