Trump wraps up China summit

President Donald Trump received a ceremonial send-off from China Friday morning as he wrapped up a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

(NBC)- President Donald Trump received a ceremonial send-off from China Friday morning as he wrapped up a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping that combined diplomacy, trade discussions and growing geopolitical tensions.

“We’ve made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries,” Trump said. “He’s a man I respect greatly. Become really a friend.”

While the summit did not produce a comprehensive trade agreement, Trump suggested China could move forward with a major Boeing purchase involving 200 aircraft.

“It was sort of like a statement, but I think it was a commitment,” Trump said.

The president also hinted at additional business opportunities involving American executives who traveled with the delegation.

“One thing I think that we’re going to make a deal on, they’ve agreed they want to buy oil from the United States,” Trump said.

Iran remained a major focus during the meetings.

China continues to be Iran’s strongest ally and a major buyer of Iranian oil, helping support Tehran’s economy despite ongoing conflict in the region.

Trump said Chinese officials indicated they would not provide military equipment to Iran and expressed interest in helping reach a broader agreement.

“We feel very similar on Iran,” Trump said. “We want that to end. We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon. We want the straits open.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio later emphasized that the United States is not relying on China to help end the war.

“We’re not asking for China’s help,” Rubio said. “We don’t need their help.”

Taiwan also remained a sensitive issue throughout the summit.

The United States continues to provide weapons to Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island claimed by China’s communist government.

Rubio said U.S. policy regarding Taiwan has not changed.

“The U.S. policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today,” Rubio said.

Meanwhile, a Chinese spokesperson warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push relations between the two countries into dangerous territory and potentially lead to conflict.