WASHINGTON—Chinese
President Xi Jinping called on the United States to build a relationship based
on cooperation and said the two powers should be "partners, not
rivals," hours after arriving in Washington for a state visit.
In
a written message released after his arrival in the United States, Xi said that
the interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined and that
both countries can advance their respective national goals without
confrontation.
The
Chinese leader envisioned a stable relationship in which cooperation is the
main element, competition is kept within certain limits, differences can be
managed, and there is a prospect of peace.
Xi
also referenced President Donald Trump's political slogan, stating that China's
revitalization and the goal of "making America great again" can
advance in parallel and benefit the world.
The
remarks come at the start of Xi Jinping's state visit, where he was personally
received by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Joint Base Andrews in
Maryland. The meeting between the two leaders is scheduled amid talks on trade,
artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and other issues in the bilateral
relationship.
The
visit also follows US and Chinese officials' agreement to extend a trade truce,
as Washington and Beijing seek to keep channels of negotiation open despite
their economic, technological, and geopolitical differences.