United States President Donald Trump expressed optimism about future relations with China while acknowledging past tensions, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19.
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump said that he “thinks” he has a very good relationship with China. And before COVID, both he and Chinese President Xi Jinping got along “very, very well”. “We were very close, as leaders go,” he told ANI.
#WATCH | Washington, DC: On a question by ANI, US President Donald Trump says, “I think we are going to have a very good relationship with China. I got along with President Xi very well until COVID…I think China is a very important player in the world. I think they can help us… pic.twitter.com/VuldvKVOJA
— ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2025
Trump spoke about ongoing global conflicts, including the India-China border tensions and the war in Ukraine, stressing the importance of de-escalation.
Regarding the India-China border conflict, Trump acknowledged their intensity and offered to mediate if needed. He stated, “I look at India, I do see the skirmishes on the border, which are quite vicious, and I guess they continue to go on. If I could be of help, I’d love to help, because that should be stopped.”
He said China plays an “important role” in ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he was stated as saying, “I don’t want to be naive, but as leaders go, I think we were very close. And I think that China is a very important player in the world. I think they can help us get this war over with Ukraine and Russia.”
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Trump also emphasised the importance of diplomatic cooperation among major global powers. He said that it has been going on for a long time and that he hopes that “China and India and Russia and the US and all of us can get along. It’s very important.”
Trump highlighted the massive military spending by major global powers, noting that the US is set to spend around $915 billion on defence, while Russia (before the war) spent nearly $100 billion, and China is currently spending between $400-450 billion.
He questioned the reasons behind such high expenditures, and he suggested that instead of military competition, countries could allocate the resources to more constructive supposes if diplomatic relations improved. He spoke on denuclearisation, and Trump revealed past discussions with President Xi. He said, “I did speak to President Xi about that, and I was getting also a very good response. He’s building a very strong nuclear power. He’s not very close to Russia or the United States right now, but he will be soon. I mean, he’ll catch up over the period of four or five years”.
He announced the plan to meet with both Chinese and Russian leaders to explore avenues for military de-escalation, particularly concerning nuclear arms.
