President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping toasted relations between their nations on Thursday night during Trump’s historic state visit to Beijing, China.
The toasts came at a banquet toward the conclusion of Trump’s first full day in China, which included a pomp-filled welcome ceremony and a more than two-hour bilateral meeting that began in the morning and concluded in the early afternoon, Beijing time.
Trump said citizens of the countries “have shared a deep mutual respect” from the beginning of the U.S.-China relationship.
“Founding father Benjamin Franklin published the sayings of Confucius in his colonial newspaper, and today’s sculpture recognizing that ancient Chinese sage is carved into the face of the United States Supreme Court very proudly,” Trump said.
“The appreciation ran in both directions. Chinese admirers of President George Washington gifted a stone tablet honoring his memory to adorn the Washington Monument. It bears the words of a Chinese official who called the great general and statesman, ‘a hero among men,'” he added.
Trump said the past 250 years of relations between America and China serve as the “foundation for a future that benefits both of our nations.”
“The American and Chinese people share much in common. We value hard work. We value courage and achievement. We love our families, and we love our countries,” he stated.
“Together, we have the chance to draw on these values to create a future of greater prosperity, cooperation, and happiness, and peace for our children,” he added.
At the end of his toast, Trump invited Xi to visit the United States on September 24.
“I’d now like to raise a glass and propose a toast to the rich and enduring ties between the American and Chinese people. It’s a very special relationship, and I want to thank you again. This has been an amazing period of time. Thank you, President Xi,” he concluded.
Xi gave a nod to the United States’s fast-approaching 250th birthday on July 4.
“This year is also the 250th anniversary of American independence. The over 300 million American people are reinvigorating the spirit of patriotism, innovation, and enterprise, and ushering in a new journey for the development of the United States,” Xi said.
“The people of China and the United States are both great peoples. Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand,” he added. “We can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.”
Xi toasted “to the development and prosperity of China and the United States and the well-being of our people, to the bright future of China-U.S. relations and the friendship between the two peoples, and to the health of President Trump and all the friends present.”