Trump said it was a great honour to be with a friend, while Xi said they did not always see eye to eye and that was normal, given their different national conditions.

Both presidents have brought their most senior officials to the talks.

Xi is flanked by his Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a veteran diplomat, and Cai Qi, his de facto chief of staff and the fifth-ranked leader on the Politburo Standing Committee.

Also at the table are Zheng Shanjie, chairman of China’s economic state planning agency, and Wang Wentao, the commerce minister.

On either side of Trump are Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Also in the talks are U.S. ambassador to China David Perdue and White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles.