Trump, Xi converge on currency, Syria as US-China ties warm

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has declared he would not declare China to be a currency manipulator to win its help in dealing with North Korea.

Trump's remarks in an interview Wednesday with The Wall Street Journal come amid signs of diplomatic cooperation between the two world powers after months of growing tension.

In a surprise move, China on Wednesday abstained rather than joining Russia in vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the reported use of chemical weapons in a town in Syria.

The developments in the geopolitical dance between Washington and Beijing follow a summit last week between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) and a phone call late Tuesday.

The U.S. is pressing China over their trade imbalance and North Korea's nuclear weapons program.