US and China sign $250bn in commercial deals during Trump visit
During President Trump's visit to China, the two nations have signed over $250bn in commercial deals, according to China's commerce minister, with Trump saying he doesn't blame China "for being able to take advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens" with regard to international trade agreements. However, some US businesses are concerned that despite the new deals they will not gain any additional access to Chinese markets. Also, the two leaders did not make any significant progress on curbing North Korea, and divisions over trade remained, with President Xi seeking more access to US markets.
US President Donald Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping he believes, like Mr Xi, a solution can be found to the North Korean nuclear issue, a day after warning Pyongyang of the grave danger of developing nuclear weapons.





Speaking alongside Mr Xi in the Chinese capital, Mr Trump also said on Thursday it was disappointing his predecessors had let the bilateral trade balance get out of kilter.





"But we will make it fair and it will be tremendous for both of us," Mr Trump said, expressing respect for Mr Xi.





Mr Trump is pressing China to tighten the screws further on North Korea and its development of nuclear weapons.





At least modest progress is hoped for, although there are no immediate signs of a major breakthrough, a US official said earlier on Thursday.

Referring to Mr Xi, Mr Trump said: "I do believe there's a solution to that, as do you."





In a show of the importance China puts on Mr Trump's first official visit, Thursday's welcoming ceremony outside Beijing's Great Hall of the People overlooking Tiananmen Square was broadcast live on state television - unprecedented treatment for a visiting leader.





Mr Xi said he had a deep exchange of views with Mr Trump and reached consensus on numerous issues of mutual concern.





"For China, cooperation is the only real choice, only win-win can lead to an even better future," Mr Xi said.





Mr Xi said China and the United States strengthened high-level dialogue on all fronts over the past year and increased coordination on major international issues, such as the Korean peninsula and Afghanistan.





"Relations between China and the United States are now on a new historical starting point," Mr Xi said





Mr Trump and Mr Xi hit it off at their first meeting in April at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and continued their "bromance" on Wednesday with an afternoon of sightseeing together with their wives, followed by dinner.





However, deep divisions persist over trade and North Korea.





And while Mr Xi is riding high after consolidating power at a twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress last month, Mr Trump comes to China saddled with low public approval ratings and dogged by investigations into Russian links to his election campaign.





'Unfair' trade agreement

President Xi beamed as Mr Trump praised the leader for looking out for China's economic prosperity saying he didn't blame him for the United States' disadvantage in existing trade agreements.





"Right now, unfortunately, it is a very one-sided and unfair one. But, but, I don't blame China. After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens? I give China great credit. But in actuality, I do blame past administrations for allowing this out-of-control trade deficit to take place and to grow."





The Chinese President responded with a promise of sorts.





"The business environment for investment of foreign companies, including U.S. companies, will become increasingly open, transparent and standardised," he told media.





Ahead of the visit, Mr Trump had ratcheted up his criticism of China's massive trade surplus with the United States - calling it "embarrassing" and "horrible" last week - and has accused Beijing of unfair trade practices, fuelling worries of increased tension between the world's two largest trading countries.





For its part, China says US restrictions on Chinese investments in the United States and on high-tech exports need to be addressed.





More than $250 billion in commercial deals between US and Chinese firms were signed during the visit, China's commerce minister said.





Several corporate CEOs are in Beijing as part of a delegation led by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.





Some in the US business community have expressed worry that contract wins could come at the expense of resolving long-standing complaints over market access restrictions in China.





"This shows that we have a strong, vibrant bilateral economic relationship, and yet we still need to focus on levelling the playing field because U.S. companies continue to be disadvantaged doing business in China," William Zarit, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, said.





Mr Trump railed against China's trade practices during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and threatened to take action once in office.





But he has since held back on any major trade penalties, making clear he was doing so to give Beijing time to make progress reining in North Korea.

'In sync'

A US official said both sides are "in sync" about wanting to minimise friction during the visit and recreate the positive tone of the Mar-a-Lago summit.





Mr Trump was not expected to put much emphasis in his talks with Xi on thorny issues like the disputed South China Sea and self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by China as its own, although the two presidents' aides may deal with those matters privately, the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.





China has repeatedly pushed back at suggestions it should be doing more to rein in North Korea, which does about 90 per cent of its trade with China, saying it is fully enforcing UN sanctions and that everyone has a responsibility to lower tensions and get talks back on track.





Mr Trump used some of his toughest language yet against North Korea in a wide-ranging address in Seoul on Wednesday that lodged specific accusations of chilling human rights abuses, although he offered no evidence to support the accusations.





He also called on countries around the world to isolate Pyongyang by denying it "any form of support, supply or acceptance".





Chinese state media praised the tone of the initial get-together on Thursday, part of what China has promised will be a "state visit plus" for Mr Trump.



