Interactions between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump provide irreplaceable strategic guidance for bilateral relations, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng said ahead of the US president's state visit to China that begins on Wednesday.

During the visit, Xi will have in-depth exchanges of views with Trump on major issues concerning China-US relations and world peace and development, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"It is our hope that with the joint efforts of both sides, the upcoming summit in Beijing will be a successful one, which will chart the right course for the future development of China-US relations," Xie told Newsweek in an exclusive interview published on Tuesday.

"President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump respect each other and have maintained close communication," he said.

Since last year, the two leaders have spoken on the phone five times, exchanged multiple letters and held a successful summit in Busan, the Republic of Korea, recalibrating the course of the China-US relationship and steering it toward overall stability, Xie added.

He noted that in an increasingly turbulent world, the strategic value of China-US relations becomes more prominent, saying that a stable and constructive China-US relationship not only serves the fundamental interests of both peoples but also meets the shared expectation of the international community.

The Chinese ambassador expressed the hope that the upcoming presidential meeting will help pave the way for making the list of China-US dialogue and cooperation longer and advancing the positive agenda while shortening the list of problems and properly managing differences between the two sides.

"So that we can not only promote the steady, sound, and sustainable development of bilateral relations this year, but also explore a right way for China and the US to get along in the new era based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation," Xie said.

On economic and trade ties

During the wide-ranging interview, Xie also called for the US side to "completely" remove the unilateral tariffs and other restrictive measures against China.

"History has proven it once and again that a tariff war or trade war produces no winner, damages the interests of both sides, and hurts the whole world," he said.

Xie rejected the allegation regarding "China's industrial overcapacity," calling it "untenable."

Amid the global green transition, China's flagship products such as electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products are all "much-needed" high-quality industrial goods, he said.

They not only meet China's domestic demand but also help bridge the global gap between renewable energy supply and demand and make a significant contribution to energy conservation, emission reduction and decarbonization, he added.

On Iran

The Chinese ambassador reiterated Beijing's stance on the Iran conflict.

"From the first day of the fighting, China has steadfastly stood on the side of peace, and has been committed to promoting talks for peace and the cessation of hostilities."

Xie criticized rumors spread by some individuals that "China has benefited from the conflict" and that "China is supporting Iran militarily."

Their aim is to smear China, incite confrontation between China and the US, and sabotage bilateral high-level interactions, he said. "All of this is fake news driven by ulterior motives."

For China and the rest of the world alike, Xie said, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the disruption of the international energy market and the shocks to global industrial and supply chains are "a disaster."

On AI

On artificial intelligence, Xie said it is "only natural" that China and the US, as leading countries in AI, compete in the sector.

Yet, he said the two sides should engage in a race to the top, put equal emphasis on development and security, check brakes before setting off, and live up to their responsibilities as major countries through cooperation.

The world does not want to see an "iron curtain" in AI nor attempts at technological enclosure, let alone a Star Wars-style rivalry in AI, Xie noted.

"We hope the US side will work with us in the same direction, to enhance dialogue, manage competition, and conduct cooperation, so that AI will become a new frontier for China-US cooperation and a new ladder for human progress."

On people-to-people relations

During the interview, the Chinese ambassador to the US also pointed to the desire of the two peoples to build closer ties, calling it "simply unstoppable."

Xie said both the "Becoming Chinese" trend that emerged at the end of last year and "Chinamaxxing" this year reflect the growing eagerness of the two peoples to reach out to one another.

He noted that since last year there has been a positive rebound in US public opinion toward China for the first time in five years.

Citing a poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, he pointed out that 53% of Americans favor friendly cooperation and engagement with China. According to a latest Pew Research Center survey, the proportion of Americans having a positive opinion of China has nearly doubled since 2023, he added.

Xie called for the US side to remove bottlenecks in visa application and border entry for Chinese citizens and open up a fast track for two-way engagement between the two peoples.