Update | Trump says he’s developed friendship with Xi as first day of US-China summit ends

US president’s remarks in Florida come as the US launches a huge cruise missile attack on targets in Syria

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President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping with their wives, first lady Melania Trump, left, and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan, right, before a meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Photo: AP

Published: 3:15am, 7 Apr 2017Updated: 2:49pm, 7 Apr 2017

US President Donald Trump said at a summit meeting with Xi Jinping that he would have a very strong relationship with the Chinese president and the two men have already developed a friendship.

Trump’s comments came towards the end of the first day of the two heads of states’ meetings in Florida and as the US launched a surprise cruise missile attack on targets in Syria.

During a photo shoot for the press before the two presidents dined at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, the US president said: “It is a great honour to have the President of China and his incredibly talented wife. We had a long discussion already. So far, I have gotten nothing. Absolutely nothing, but we have developed a friendship,” Trump said. “I think, long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship and I look very much forward to it.”

Just a couple of hours after the dinner, Trump tweeted and said he was honoured to host his Chinese guests.

A number of the president’s top aides were present, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus, chief strategist Stephen Bannon and Ivanka Trump,