President Donald Trump told China’s State Councilor Yang Jiechi in a meeting that the U.S. is willing to cooperate with Beijing on projects related to its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry.
Since his April meeting with Xi in Florida, Trump has toned down the anti-China rhetoric he campaigned on, and sent Matt Pottinger, National Security Council senior director for East Asia, as the U.S. representative at China’s first Belt and Road Forum in May. Engagement with President Xi Jinping’s signature project to build new trade and investment links between Asia, Europe and Africa would mark a contrast to the Obama administration, which turned down the opportunity to be a founding member of the related Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
