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US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a White House state dinner, where both leaders hailed what they described as a new chapter in relations between the two countries.
The dinner, held on the second day of Xi’s three-day visit to Washington, was attended by senior US officials, business leaders and technology executives, according to Reuters. Protests could be heard outside the White House as guests arrived, and some demonstrators were arrested.
Trump praises relationship with Xi
In a toast, Trump thanked Xi for travelling to the United States and said the relationship between the two leaders was stronger than ever.
“We’ve never gotten along better,” Trump said.
Trump also praised the history of US-China relations and presented Xi with a sculpture of a bald eagle, describing it as a symbol of “the free and soaring spirit of America”. He said he and First Lady Melania Trump had taken part in designing the sculpture.
During an unscripted part of his remarks, Trump invited Xi and his wife to be the first guests to enter a ballroom under construction at the White House, which he said would be completed in about a year.
Xi calls for constructive and stable ties
Xi thanked his hosts for receiving him and his wife with “meticulous care and consideration”, saying they had been made to feel at home.
He said the two leaders were “making history” through their bilateral engagements and had agreed to build a China-US relationship based on strategic stability.
“We should explore a new approach for major countries to get along,” Xi said.
Xi referred to the countries’ cooperation during the Second World War and the “ping pong” diplomacy associated with the Nixon administration. He said the goals of the United States and China could be mutually reinforcing.
Technology and business leaders attend
Among those attending were Apple chief executive Tim Cook, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang. Cook and Huang were seated at the same table as Trump and Xi, alongside SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk.
Other guests included US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, members of Trump’s cabinet and his children Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany. Social media executive Mark Zuckerberg and billionaire Jeff Yass, who owns a stake in TikTok, also attended.
The dinner menu featured American ingredients with Chinese influences, including sesame-crusted sea bass, braised bok choy, roasted eggplant and dessert served with ice cream made using White House honey.
Trump and Xi were due to meet for tea with their wives on Friday before visiting the US National Archives. Xi and his wife were scheduled to leave Washington later that day.
