Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump have established "an effective working relationship and personal friendship" which will provide "a clear sense of direction" for relations between their countries, China’s ambassador to the United States said at the 2017 International Finance and Infrastructure Cooperation Forum in New York on Monday.

During his election campaign and early on his presidency, Trump seemed frosty towards Xi and China. But the two world leaders have since met in Florida and spoken twice by phone, most recently on Monday.

Ambassador Cui Tiankai said in his New York address that the Florida meeting was a historic and successful one. "I think the most important outcome of the summit is the fact that the two leaders got to know each other and started an effective working relationship and personal friendship," he stressed. 

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has been a main topic of conversation for Xi and Trump.

Cui expressed his optimism about China-US relations, despite admitting that differences of opinion between the two countries will not be solved "once and for all" by one or two summits and phone calls. "This kind of effective communication at the top level will provide strong political guidance to the relationship and give us a clear sense of direction, which will enable us to keep the relations on a steady track and manage the differences in a constructive way," he said.

The ambassador explained that his confidence comes from the belief that "the real strength of China-US relations lies in the ability to confront new challenges, overcome new problems and open up new prospects for cooperation."

Cui also discussed the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which will be held in Beijing on May 14 and 15. He said China welcomes America's participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, which he called "a forward-looking initiative in response to the needs of economic, social and technological progress in the 21st century."

In Cui's words, the initiative is "an open and inclusive platform for development, not an arena for geostrategic rivalry."

It has opened up great opportunities for American companies, according to the ambassador.