Will have a very, very great relationship: Trump on meeting Xi

US President Donald Trump has said that he will have a "very, very great relationship" with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as the two leaders met in the Florida resort of Mar-a-Lago for the first time.

"It is a great honour to have the president of China and his incredibly talented wife, a great, great celebrity in China, a great singer. It's an honour to have you in the United States," Trump told reporters in a brief media appearance with Xi at Mar a-Lago, as he started with a series of meetings with the Chinese President.

The two leaders met with a smile and a handshake during their first face-to-face encounter.
 

"We had a long discussion already. So far, I have gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing. But we have developed a friendship. I can see that. I think, long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it," Trump said as he hosted the visiting Chinese leader and his spouse for a dinner.

Both the leaders were wearing dark suits, with Trump donning a red tie, and Xi wearing a blue one.

First Lady Melania Trump wore a red dress; while the Chinese first ladywas dressed in a bluish, pattern dress.

The dinner included steak, potatoes and chocolate cake.

Among the desserts were chocolate cakes with vanilla sauce and dark chocolate sorbet or a sorbet trio.

This is the first time the two leaders meet, after a US election that featured frequent barbs at China's "rape" of the US economy.