*US President Donald Trump has lavished praise on Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a marked contrast to his previous criticism of China on the flashpoint issues of North Korea and trade. *
But he also urged Mr Xi to “work very hard” on persuading North Korea to denuclearise.
On China’s trade surplus, Mr Trump surprised many when he said he did “not blame China” for “taking advantage”.
China has said it will lower market entry barriers to some sectors.
The US president was speaking in Beijing while on a state visit.
He is in the Chinese capital as part of his five-nation tour of Asia. The two leaders held talks earlier on Thursday after a grand welcome for Mr Trump.
China will further lower entry barriers in the banking, insurance, and finance sectors, and gradually reduce vehicle tariffs, the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Deals worth $250bn (£190bn) have also been announced, although it is unclear how much of that figure includes past deals or potential future deals.
But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told journalists the deals were “pretty small” in terms of tackling the trade imbalance.
