Foreign Ministry

As US President Donald Trump on Friday headed back to the US, the spotlight on Beijing did not move away from the two leaders' just-concluded summit. At the Foreign Ministry's regular press briefing, foreign reporters raised 11 questions related to the meeting between the two heads of state, seven of them on trade and economic issues.

From rare earth supplies and Boeing aircraft to semiconductor export controls and oil purchases, those questions pointed to one issue now being closely watched by global markets: whether China and the US can turn recent high-level interactions into more stable economic and trade expectations, Chinese analysts said.

"The essence of China-US economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation," and that both sides should jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, so as to inject greater stability into China-US economic and trade cooperation and the world economy, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told the press briefing in response to reports that President Trump said in an interview with US media on Thursday that China had agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets.

During the visit, the two sides reached important common understandings on maintaining stable economic and trade ties, Guo said, when responding to a question by a US reporter over the status of export licenses of US beef.

"We stand ready to work with the US side to act on the important common understandings reached between the two presidents and continuously expand the list of cooperation and deliver for both peoples in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit," Guo said.

Asked by The New York Times whether both sides had reached a new understanding regarding the supply of rare earths, Guo emphasized, " China is always committed to keeping global supply chains stable and secure." 

On a question about whether China had agreed to purchase American oil in the future, the spokesperson said that China stands ready to work with all sides to ensure global energy security and keep global industrial and supply chains stable. "The pressing task is to restore peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region," he added.

Agriculture, long a major area of bilateral trade, was another field that received attention. When asked by The New York Times if there are any further agricultural deals that China has agreed to, Guo said that during the visit, the two sides reached important common understandings on maintaining stable economic and trade ties, expanding practical cooperation in various areas, and properly resolving respective concerns. 

On the closely watched issue of AI cooperation, Guo said in response to a question on the outcomes and future implementation that "China believes all parties should jointly promote the open and inclusive development of AI for good and for all."

Economic and trade relations remain central to the broader China-US relationship. Despite friction and engagement continuing to coexist across key areas, sustained and open dialogue will help reduce miscalculation, manage risks and stabilize bilateral ties, Song Guoyou, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Friday.

Su Jian, a professor at Peking University's School of Economics and director of its National Center for Economic Research, told the Global Times that although China-US trade frictions have lasted for years, each round of dialogue has produced phased and practical outcomes that benefit both sides and the entire global economy.

When briefing the press about the just-concluded China-US leaders' meeting in Beijing on Friday, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said the economic and trade teams of China and the United States will work to expand two-way trade under a reciprocal tariff reduction framework.

The two sides have also agreed to establish a trade council and an investment council and address each other's concerns over market access for agricultural products, Wang said.

Expanding cooperation list

The official signals were followed by concrete business engagement. Later the same day, officials from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) held separate meetings with senior US corporate executives.

The meetings involved senior US corporate executives from aviation, technology and agribusiness, including Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg, GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO Larry Culp, Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon, and Cargill President, CEO and Board Chair Brian Sikes.

Chinese officials said that China's continued economic development will create long-term opportunities for companies from all countries, including US businesses, while pledging to deepen practical cooperation.

Ortberg said during his meeting with NDRC head Zheng Shanjie that Boeing remains committed to the Chinese market for the long term and is willing to work with Chinese partners to deepen aviation cooperation and deliver more practical results.

Amon and Sikes said during separate meetings with CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin that US businesses remain optimistic about China's development prospects and stand ready to deepen cooperation with China, contributing further to the growth of US-China economic and trade ties.

The positive tone struck by both leaders at what it called a productive summit sent a timely signal of confidence for American businesses in China, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai told the Global Times on Friday.

"Especially important is that both sides affirmed the significance of building a constructive and stable strategic relationship. This new framing will foster healthy, sustainable growth in US-China economic and trade ties. A stable relationship is the top priority for our members," the chamber said.

Beyond traditional areas, AI points to the next frontier of China-US engagement - where competition remains evident but dialogue and cooperation are increasingly essential.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said that the single most important things China is already doing is artificial intelligence and ensuring that AI is being applied into every industry, in healthcare and life science and manufacturing. "It is already opening up new opportunities in China," Huang said.

The visiting US press corps also saw that shift up close. Some reporters covering Trump's visit tried cashier-less supermarkets and watched performances by Unitree Robotics robots - a glimpse of China's AI applications beyond the policy table.

ABC News' Selina Wang sat down with young students in China who are embracing the new technology. An ABC News video put in its narration, "As the US debates the role of artificial intelligence in American life, China is racing to incorporate AI across society."