President Donald Trump said Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to significantly expand purchases of American goods during a bilateral meeting in Beijing, including soybeans, energy products and Boeing aircraft.
According to Fox News, Trump told host Sean Hannity that Xi committed to helping the United States with Iran and agreed to buy U.S. soybeans, oil, liquified natural gas and other energy exports. Trump also said China agreed to purchase 200 Boeing 737 jets.
The full interview is scheduled to air Thursday evening.
The reported agreement could provide a major boost for American agriculture, energy producers and the aerospace industry, particularly Boeing, which has been seeking to strengthen its relationship with China after years of trade tensions and regulatory challenges.
Boeing had previously been negotiating a deal to sell 500 737 Max jets to China. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg traveled to Beijing alongside Trump during the visit.
Trump and Xi met for approximately two hours and 15 minutes on Thursday, according to the White House press pool.
In a readout following the meeting, the White House said the two leaders discussed trade and business issues, as well as the ongoing conflict involving Iran and concerns surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for oil and energy exports.
“The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy,” a White House official said.
“President Xi also made clear China’s opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China’s dependence on the Strait in the future,” the official continued. “Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
