Here's What Tillerson and Xi Talked About in Their First Ever Meeting

Rex Tillerson, the United States' newest Secretary of State, made his first visit to China over the weekend, culminating in a big meeting with Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday.

The two steered clear of heated issues, instead speaking in more broad terms of the Sino-US relationship.

Here's what Xi told the former Exxon Mobil exec in the meeting:

“You have made a lot of active efforts to achieve a smooth transition in our relationship under the new era. And I also appreciate your comment that the China-U.S. relationship can only be defined by cooperation and friendship.”

In a separate meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Tillerson also called for the classic diplomatic quadfecta of “nonconflict, nonconfrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation." 

Chinese state media called the visit a "diplomatic victory."

Meanwhile, North Korea celebrated Tillerson's first trip to Asia with some missile tests, which Tillerson's boss denounced on Twitter (because of course).

Xi will meet Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago next month, in what may be the most highly anticipated handshake since that really awkward one with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday.

On the heels of his visit, Trump has recently embraced the One China stance and has been awarded a slew of trademarks that allow him to use his name and likeness in a diverse series of products, including a Trump-branded escort service.

READ MORE: Trump Called Xi Jinping and Finally Gave a CNY Greeting

[Images via CNN, Washington Post, China Daily]