Trump told Xi helping Iran is unacceptable, US ambassador says

Amid the tea-drinking and pleasantries in Washington this week, Donald Trump made clear to Xi Jinping that China's support for Tehran was unacceptable, according to the US ambassador to China.

As the US president showed his Chinese counterpart around the National Archives in Washington on Friday, local time, Mr Trump said two leaders "did" discuss Iran during the state visit.

And when asked if he thought there would be progress on reopening the Straight of Hormuz, he replied: "I think we're going to do great."

US Ambassador to China David Perdue told CNBC that Mr Trump made it clear during those talks that Chinese help for Iran was unacceptable. 

"We made it very clear to them weeks ago that, you know, any help that they would give Iran, whether it be direct or indirect, whether it be intelligence or parts or military equipment, was totally unacceptable," Mr Perdue said during the interview.

"President Trump made that very clear again."

Beijing has denied US allegations of helping Iran's leaders during the conflict.

Mr Trump said the summit between the leaders of the world's two largest economies had produced great strides, despite a lack of concrete results. 

"I think our farmers are going to be happy", Mr Trump said, without providing more information about that.

Details of the limited agreements the two sides struck regarding their tense trade relationship would be released on Monday, local time, according to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

"We've had progress, and we will release on Monday, I think, a lot more details about what we've accomplished over the past few weeks in negotiating with the Chinese," he told CNBC.

The US has agreed with China on exempting some key goods from arguments over trade, Mr Greer said, including exports to China of agricultural products and medical devices and imports of consumer and non-sensitive goods.

As the two leaders shared tea in the White House Red Room earlier in the day they heaped more praise on each other and the visit.

"America is very happy about this visit, and I'm sure China is very happy also," Mr Trump said.

Mr Xi said the US-China relationship had developed into a constructive one of "strategic stability on the basis of respect, fairness and reciprocity" and that the two leaders would have two more opportunities to meet this year, the APEC summit in China and a G20 summit in Miami.

"I do welcome you, Mr President and the First Lady to visit China," Mr Xi also offered.

The three-day summit ended with a visit to the National Archives, where Mr Trump and Mr Xi appeared to review the US Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

China has not commented on the visit to the archives, but some analysts say Mr Xi may have been keen to see records relating to the US switch of recognition to communist China from Taiwan in 1979.