Trump praises 'highly respected', 'powerful rep' President Xi Jinping

United States President Donald Trump has hailed his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, as a "highly respected and powerful representative of his people" and called his meeting with him "very productive" on both trade and the subject of North Korea.

"My meetings with President Xi Jinping were very productive on both trade and the subject of North Korea. He is a highly respected and powerful representative of his people. It was great being with him and Madame Peng Liyuan!" Trump said in a tweet.

President Trump also accused his predecessors for the U.S.' annual trade deficit with China.

"I don't blame China, I blame the incompetence of past Admins for allowing China to take advantage of the U.S. on trade leading up to a point where the U.S. is losing $100's of billions. How can you blame China for taking advantage of people that had no clue? I would've done same!" Trump tweeted.

Trump visited China as part of a nearly two-week tour through Asia and sought to convince president Xi to do more to reduce a trade deficit with China and rein in nuclear-armed North Korea.

Trump is scheduled to attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Vietnam and a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the Philippines during the trip.