China and US should be 'partners, not rivals', Xi Jinping tells Donald Trump

China and the US should be "partners, not rivals", Chinese leader Xi Jinping has told Donald Trump during his visit to Beijing.

The tumultuous relationship between the two nations was lauded by both leaders today, as Mr Trump's trip to China was the first by a US President in almost a decade.

Giving a speech in the Chinese capital alongside the US President during a state dinner, Mr Xi said: "Today, President Trump and I had in-depth exchanges on China-US relations and the international and regional dynamics.

"We both believe that the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. We must make it work and never mess it up.

"Both China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals."

Mr Trump also praised the Chinese leader, saying he had a "fantastic day" after arriving in Beijing yesterday.

The purpose of the trip, which was originally scheduled for March, was centred around trade talks between the two superpowers.

President Xi and Mr Trump engaged in a two-hour-long talk yesterday, which the latter described as "great".

The US President said: "We had extremely positive and productive conversations and meetings today with the Chinese delegation earlier, and this evening is another cherished opportunity to discuss among friends some of the things that we discussed today."

America agreed to allow 10 Chinese firms to purchase Nvidia's second-most powerful chip, the H200, in a move that reflects a more collaborative sentiment between the two superpowers.

President Trump also told Fox News that the Chinese had agreed to purchase 200 Boeing jets from the American aeroplane manufacturer.

Both leaders also discussed "ending the flow of fentanyl precursors" entering the US, as well as China buying American-produced agricultural products, the White House said.

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US and Chinese trade officials "reached an overall balanced and positive outcome" during talks yesterday in Beijing.

President Xi said China's door "to the outside world will only open wider.

"American companies will enjoy even brighter prospects in China."

Mr Trump said China would not give Iran military equipment.

On Taiwan, President Xi said that the issue was "the most important" for US-China relations, adding "the two countries will clash or even come into conflict" if it was not dealt with properly.

However, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said America's policy on Taiwan, located between the East and South China Seas, remains "unchanged" after the talks.

The Chinese leader has set his sights on the "reunification" of Taiwan with China as a part of his legacy and is yet to rule out using force to bring the self-governing island under Beijing's control.

Both leaders also shared their views on Ukraine and the Korean peninsula.

Remaining optimistic, President Xi referenced a political phenomenon, named after an ancient Greek historian, the "Thucydides Trap", which describes the tendency to edge towards conflict when a rising power threatens the position of an established, ruling power.

He said he hoped the two nations could "forge a new paradigm for great power relations".

The US President raised a glass to the Chinese leader as he concluded his speech at the state banquet, alongside an invitation to the White House on September 24.