Trump: ‘Tremendous progress’ in China talks

President Trump said Friday that he has “made tremendous progress” during his first in-person talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

“I think we have made tremendous progress in our relationship with China,” Trump said, adding that it’s been “very interesting” to spend time with the Chinese leader. 

Trump and Xi are holding high-stakes talks at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., during which they are expected to touch on thorny issues such as North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, trade and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. 

{mosads}But the two-day summit was largely overshadowed by Trump’s decision to launch cruise missiles at an airfield in Syria on Thursday in response to a deadly gas attack there on Tuesday.

Trump administration officials believe, however, that the strike could force China to take seriously Trump’s threat of unilateral action against Pyongyang’s nuclear program. 

The president said in the days before the talks that he would not be afraid to act alone if Beijing does not use its economic leverage with the North Koreans to force them to curb their nuclear activities. 

Trump and senior officials hosted Xi for dinner at his estate Thursday night. Their talks are set to conclude Friday afternoon.