By The South Asia Times

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump held a private meeting on Friday at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in central Beijing, as Trump wrapped up his state visit to China, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The meeting came a day after the two leaders held formal summit talks focused on trade, strategic stability, regional security and broader China–US relations.

Upon Trump’s arrival at Zhongnanhai, Xi warmly welcomed the US president. The two leaders were seen walking through the historic compound’s gardens, talking privately and occasionally stopping to admire trees and flowers, images released by Xinhua showed.

Xi described Trump’s visit as “historic and landmark,” saying both sides had set a “new vision” for building a constructive China–US relationship based on strategic stability.

“We had reached important common understandings on maintaining stable economic and trade ties, expanding practical cooperation in various fields, and properly addressing each other’s concerns,” Xi said.

He added that both countries had also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues, while emphasizing that cooperation between Beijing and Washington serves the interests of both nations and the wider world.

“This once again demonstrates that it is a shared aspiration of both peoples and the expectation of people across the world for China and the United States to find a right path to get along with each other and to achieve peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation on the basis of mutual respect,” Xi said.

Referring to their respective national goals, Xi said: “While President Trump hopes to make America great again, I am dedicated to leading the Chinese people toward national rejuvenation.” He stressed that both countries could achieve development and revitalization through deeper cooperation.

Xi also urged both sides to “cherish the hard-won positive momentum,” avoid disruptions and continue promoting stable bilateral relations.

Trump thanked Xi for inviting him to Zhongnanhai and described the visit as “very successful” and “unforgettable.”

“The two sides had reached a series of important common understandings, signed a number of agreements, and resolved many problems, which were very beneficial to both countries and the world,” Trump said.

Calling Xi “his old friend,” Trump said he had “great respect” for the Chinese leader and expressed confidence that U.S.–China ties “will definitely get better.”

Trump also said he looked forward to hosting Xi in Washington and pledged to maintain “sincere and in-depth communication” with the Chinese president.

According to Xinhua, the two leaders also exchanged views on several regional hotspot issues during the meeting, though no further details were released.

Senior Chinese officials including Wang Yi, Cai Qi and Vice Premier He Lifeng attended the event.