China offers to work with U.S. through the ‘storms’ after Trump says ‘big progress’ was being made

China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that Beijing was willing to work with Washington through the storms of their relationship in the name of global security.

Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that Chinese-U.S. ties now ‘stand at a historic new starting point’ and that the two sides should respect each other’s sovereignty, security and development interest and appropriately manage differences, according to Reuters.

‘Both sides should stick to rationally and objectively viewing the other side’s strategic intentions, strengthen strategic communication and promote strategic mutual trust to prevent strategic misjudgments,’ he said in a statement.  

Trump says Saturday that he had a ‘long and very good call’ with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the talks, which stemmed from their sit-down early this month in Argentina (file photo)

Beijing’s offering comes after President Donald Trump said on Saturday that ‘big progress’ was being made in talks between the U.S. and China to head off further escalation in a yearlong trade war.

Trump said he had a ‘long and very good call’ with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the talks, which stemmed from their sit-down early this month in Argentina.

Trump tweeted: ‘Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute.’

Chinese state media also said Xi and Trump spoke on Saturday, and quoted Xi as saying that teams from both countries have been working to implement a consensus reached with Trump.

Chinese media also quoted Xi as saying that he hopes both sides can meet each other half way and reach an agreement that is mutually beneficial as soon as possible.

The two nations have been in a trade war for much of 2018 that has seen the flow of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods between the world’s two largest economies disrupted by tariffs. 

The U.S. wants China to address intellectual property theft and other aggressive measures that have driven Beijing’s efforts to supplant U.S. technological dominance.

Trump and Xi agreed to a ceasefire in the trade war, agreeing to hold off on imposing more tariffs for 90 days on December 1 while they negotiate a deal to end the dispute following months of escalating tensions.

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on a ceasefire during a dinner in Argentina for G20

The dinner between President Trump and President Xi went ‘very well’ a White House adviser said

The agreement was the culmination of a two and half hour dinner with Trump and Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina, temporarily heading off further escalation of the trade war.

As part of the truce, Trump revoked a plan to raise tariffs on certain Chinese goods to 25 per cent on January 1, the White House noted in a statement. 

U.S. officials touted the meeting between the two delegations as ‘highly successful.’  

The White House also said that China has agreed to label the deadly opioid fentanyl, which is behind tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S., as a controlled substance.

The White House also touted Beijing’s agreement to buy U.S. agricultural products as a win for farmers – a group that heavily supported Trump in the presidential election.

Farmers – and the lawmakers who represented them – worried they would suffer the most under the trade war, which saw China tax products like soybeans and oranges. 

The two leaders also agreed to work together to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula – although no further details were released on that matter.

The dinner meeting between Trump and Xi went ‘very well,’ said White economic adviser Larry Kudlow to reporters before Air Force One left Argentina to return to Washington. 

Xi said the meeting – the first face-to-face between the two since the show down started – was a ‘manifestation of a personal friendship.’