International observers have hailed Thursday's meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, saying the talks will not only enrich the substance of constructive strategic stability in bilateral relations but also benefit the world.
Xi's three-day state visit to the United States, made at Trump's invitation, concluded on Friday. It followed Trump's state visit to China in May, the first by a U.S. president in nearly nine years.
Speaking at a banquet hosted by Trump on Thursday evening, Xi recalled how the Chinese and American people stood shoulder to shoulder in the fight against Japanese militarist aggressors over 80 years ago, adding that such a friendship, forged in blood and fire, will surely live on through the generations.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), George Retelas, whose late grandfather was one of the Doolittle Raiders, said cooperation between China and the United States would make both countries stronger and benefit everyone. He also called for more people-to-people exchanges, citing the friendships he has developed during his visits to China.
"Both China and the U.S., their heads of state can come together -- it'll make both countries stronger. So, when they can work together, everyone wins. And for me, China has always been a mystery, the place. And so through World War II history with my late grandfather and researching about the Doolittle Raid, it really brought me to China, the place. And I've been here now three times. But what brings me back is not the place, it's the people. So now I have friends here and I want to come back and visit them. And so I think the best way that we can come together is when we do people-to-people exchanges," he said.
In 1942, U.S. airmen who took part in the Doolittle Raid on Japan were forced to make emergency landings or parachute into China after their aircraft ran short of fuel. Chinese civilians and military personnel rescued 64 of them despite the danger posed by Japanese forces.
Observers also stressed that the meeting between the leaders of China and the United States carries significance beyond bilateral relations, given the two countries' major roles in global affairs.
"I believe the visit and meeting between the two heads of state today are of great importance, undoubtedly having a profound impact on the global landscape. As two major countries, both the U.S. and China have a significant voice and a vital stake in global affairs. This high-profile meeting concerns not only the two countries themselves; I believe the entire world is watching closely," said Mohamed Al Hammadi, chairman of the UAE Journalists Association.
Int'l observers hail significance of Xi-Trump meeting, cite global benefits
