Beijing [China], May 14 (ANI): US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday began a closely watched bilateral meeting, with Trump hailing Xi as a 'great leader' and expressing optimism about future ties between the two countries.

Opening the talks, Trump thanked Xi for the reception accorded to him and his delegation, describing it as 'an honour like few have ever seen before.'

'Well, President Xi, I want to thank you very much. First of all, that was an honour like few have ever seen before,' Trump said, adding that he was especially impressed by the children present during the welcome ceremony.

'I think I was particularly impressed by those children. They were happy. They were beautiful. The military is obvious. It couldn't be better. But those children were amazing, and they represent so much,' he said.

Trump highlighted his long-standing relationship with Xi, saying the two leaders had consistently managed tensions through direct communication.'You and I have known each other now for a long time. In fact, the longest relationship of our two countries that any president and president has had,' Trump said.

'We've had a fantastic relationship. We've gotten along. When there were difficulties, we worked it out. I would call you, and you would call me, and whenever we had a problem, people don't know, whenever we had a problem, we worked it out very quickly,' he added.

Praising Xi's leadership, Trump said, 'Such respect for China, the job you've done. You're a great leader. I say it to everybody.'

The US President also pointed to the presence of leading American business executives in his delegation, saying they were eager to expand trade and business engagement with China. 'We have the greatest businessmen, the biggest and I guess the best in the world. We have amazing people and they're all with me,' he said.

Trump described the meeting as potentially historic, noting the intense attention it was receiving in the United States. 'There are those that say this is maybe the biggest summit ever. They can never remember anything like it,' he said.

Concluding his remarks, Trump said, 'It's an honour to be your friend and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.'

Earlier, US President Donald Trump met his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing for what can be described as a 'high-stakes' bilateral engagement between the two sides amid the ongoing tensions over trade, technology, and regional security issues.

Trump was formally welcomed by Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, marking the beginning of a closely watched diplomatic meeting between the two leaders.

Both leaders shared a warm handshake before Trump met members of Xi's cabinet. (ANI)