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Trump says top US CEOs are in China to "pay respects" and build business
By Kit Maher
Children hold Chinese and US flags, as US President Donald Trump attends a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing on Thursday.
Maxim Shemetov/Reuters
President Donald Trump said the group of top business leaders he brought along with him to China, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Apple CEO Tim Cook, are here to “pay respects” and build business in the nation.
“We have amazing people, and they’re all with me,” Trump said during opening remarks.
“We asked the top 30 in the world. Every single one of them said yes, and I didn’t want the second or the third in the company. I wanted only the top. And they’re here today to pay respects to you and to China, and they look forward to trade and doing business, and it’s going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf,” he added.
Expressing optimism at the start of the summit, Trump told Xi: “It’s an honor to be with you. It’s an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”
Trump to Xi: "We’re going to have a fantastic future ...
Trump also said that some “people don’t like” when he calls Xi a “great leader,” but it wouldn’t stop him from saying so.
“I say it to everybody. You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true,” Trump said.
After a grand welcome ceremony, Trump said he was “particularly impressed by those children” greeting him outside energetically.
“They were happy. They were beautiful,” Trump said. “Those children were amazing, and they represent so much.”
