China aims to cooperate with Washington in the spirit of “equality, respect and mutual benefit”, Beijing said on Wednesday ahead of US President Donald Trump’s state visit and a pivotal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the two leaders would hold “in-depth exchanges of views on major issues concerning China-US relations as well as world peace and development”.

“China stands ready to work with the United States in the spirit of equality, respect and mutual benefit – expanding cooperation, managing differences, and injecting greater stability and certainty into a turbulent and changing world,” Guo said.

Guo’s remarks came hours after Trump posted on social media that he would “be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic”, referring to more than a dozen business executives travelling with him on Air Force One.

Trump departed for China on Tuesday for a closely watched summit with Xi, carrying hopes of stabilising ties between the world’s two largest economies, even as deep divisions remain over trade, Taiwan and global security crises.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening ahead of two days of meetings with Xi. It will be his first trip to China since 2017, and the first state visit between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House.