China, US reach 8-point consensus as President Xi wraps up state visit

President Xi Jinping has brought his three-day state visit to the US to a close on Friday by inspecting the founding documents of America. Authorities announce that the two countries have reached consensus on eight outcomes spanning trade, artificial intelligence, Iran, and military.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump invited Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan for a tea chat at the White House Friday morning during which they agreed to build a constructive relationship of strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness and reciprocity.

The two couples later arrived to tour the National Archives where they were briefed on its treasured exhibits which Xi says carry the wisdom of the forebears and offer insights for the future.

Both leaders viewed the US Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Xi said despite the two nations' different histories and cultures, they will enjoy a steady relationship if they recognise and respect their differences, deepen mutual understanding, expand cooperation, and seek the biggest common denominator.

When asked by reporters inside the Rotunda about his conversation with Xi, Trump had this to say. "We're just comparing. Ours goes 250 years, which is great, and we are proud of it. But theirs goes 6,000 years. There's a little difference between 6,000 and 250, but we're very proud of our 250."

He said: "We had a great meeting. We had a really great meeting, great for everybody, great for the farmers, great for everybody."

As Xi departed Washington, D.C., representatives of overseas Chinese and Chinese students swarmed along the roadside to see the president off. Senior US administration figures lined up at the tarmac to bid him farewell before his plane took off for Beijing, and a 21-gun salute was fired.

State media Xinhua on Saturday announces a joint eight-point consensus after Xi's visit.

The list of outcomes includes both leaders' intention to attend APEC and G20 later this year, agreement that Iran should fulfill commitment not to develop nuclear weapons and on the necessity of toll-free international waterways, as well as establishing AI dialogue, with the next round set for November.

At the centre of the breakthrough is a 30-billion-US-dollar reciprocal tariff-reduction arrangement between their trade teams.

Both sides also agree to reinforce crisis communication and ramp up cooperation between their militaries to search for the remains of US soldiers in China.