ISTANBUL

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged US President Donald Trump to withdraw “negative measures” against China, state media Xinhua News reported Thursday.

Xi made the remarks during a phone call between the two leaders, which was held at Washington’s request. It was the first time the two leaders had spoken since tensions between their countries escalated concerning tariffs, according to the news agency.

The Chinese president urged both parties to effectively utilize existing economic and trade consultation mechanisms, engage with one another on equal footing, respect each other’s concerns and work toward mutually beneficial outcomes.

He said to steer the large ship of China-US relations back on course, both need to remove all forms of disruptions, noting that dialogue and cooperation are only the right choices between the two nations.

Both leaders agreed that their teams should continue implementing a consensus reached in Geneva.

Trump said Chinese students are welcome to study in the US.
Xi, in turn, said Trump is welcome to visit China again.

Trump signed a proclamation to restrict foreign student visas at Harvard University, the White House said Wednesday.

Trade negotiations between the US and China came to a halt shortly after a May 12 agreement between the world’s top economies to lower tariff rates during discussions.

Under that deal, the US and China agreed to a 90-day suspension of most tariffs and a rollback of measures imposed since early April.

Each side has accused the other of violating the terms. Trump has claimed China failed to uphold the agreement, while Beijing on Monday rejected the allegations as “groundless” and warned of strong countermeasures to defend its economic interests.

On Wednesday, Trump described Xi as “VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH.”