President Trump claimed Thursday that China plans to “invest hundreds of billions of dollars” in the companies run by the CEOs he “surprised” Xi Jinping with during their high-stakes meeting.
“Those business people are here to make deals and to bring back jobs,” Trump said of the dozens of executives and entrepreneurs that accompanied him on his historic trip to Beijing.
“China’s going to invest hundreds of billions of dollars with those people that were in that room today,” the president told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview that aired Thursday night. “That’s why they came.”
Trump revealed that businesspeople, including Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook, were not initially scheduled to take part in the US delegation’s meeting with Xi and Chinese officials at the Great Hall of the People.
“I suggested that before we start the meeting, ‘I’d like to introduce them to you,’” Trump said, “and they were surprised, because it wasn’t, you know, it wasn’t scheduled.”
Trump said Chinese leadership “really had a good time” once they “got used to the fact that we’re a little off schedule here.”
“They did fantastically well,” he said of the businesspeople. “It was really good.”
“Xi actually said that was very good. That was a good idea, but it was very different from what the schedule had.”
Trump’s interview with Hannity was taped Wednesday, after his more than two-hour-long meeting with Xi in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
Trump and Xi have thus far seemed to have found common ground on issues related to Iran and the need to keep US-China relations amicable.
A White House readout of the summit noted that “both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Meanwhile, Trump insisted Xi offered to assist the US in getting Iran to cease hostilities.
“President Xi would like to see a deal made, he would, he would like to see a deal made. And he did offer. He said, ‘If I can be of any help at all, I would like to be of help,’” Trump told Hannity.
“He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open. He said, ‘If I could be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,’” the president added, noting that Xi intends to continue purchasing oil from the regime and “didn’t like the fact that they are charging tolls.”
The Chinese strongman further pledged not to provide Tehran with weapons, according to the president.
“He said he’s not going to give military equipment, that’s a big statement,” Trump said.
At a state banquet honoring Trump Wednesday Xi said of US-China relations: “We must make it work, and never mess it up.”
Xi also expressed optimism that “achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand,” in reference to Trump’s MAGA slogan.
Trump and Xi are set to meet again Thursday night at the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing.
Zhongnanhai is where the Chinese Communist Party is headquartered and is also the site of Xi’s primary official residence.
The two leaders plan to have tea and a lunch meeting, where talks touching on a host of subjects, including Iran, trade, investments and the thorny issue of Taiwan are expected to continue.
Trump will head to the airport and wrap up his whirlwind three-day trip to China after the working lunch.
