The president Donald Trump delivered a speech this Thursday at the State Dinner held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where he thanked President Xi Jinping for the warm welcome and referred to him as "my friend" in front of the Chinese delegation gathered for the official dinner.
"It was a fantastic day and, in particular, I want to thank President Xi, my friend, for this magnificent welcome. And it truly was a magnificent welcome like no other, and for receiving us so generously on this historic State visit," Trump declared at the banquet, according to a video shared by the official rapid response account of the White House.
The president also highlighted the discussions held prior to the banquet: "We had extremely positive and productive conversations and meetings today with the Chinese delegation. And tonight is another valuable opportunity to talk among friends about some of the things we discussed today, all beneficial for the United States and China."
The main day of the visit included a welcoming ceremony with military honors, a bilateral meeting lasting approximately two hours with Xi Jinping, a visit to the Temple of Heaven, and a state banquet in the evening.
After the bilateral meeting, Trump had been even more direct: “The relationship between China and the U.S. is going to be better than ever”, stated the American president.
Xi Jinping, for his part, congratulated the United States on its 250th anniversary of its founding during the bilateral meeting.
The U.S. delegation that accompanied Trump included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and businessman Elon Musk, highlighting the diplomatic and business dimensions of the visit.
The trip to Beijing, which takes place from May 13 to 15, is the first visit of Trump to China since November 2017, when he was also welcomed with a state banquet at the same venue.
The meeting takes place within a context of détente following an intense trade war between the two powers, during which tariffs reached 145% from the United States and 125% from China. These tariffs were suspended through a truce agreed upon in October 2025 in Busan, South Korea.
Before departing, Trump had hinted from Air Force One what the focus of the summit would be: "We are going to talk to President Xi about many things. I would say, above all, about trade."
A working lunch is scheduled for this Friday between both leaders before Trump's return to the United States, which could yield the first concrete results of this historic visit.
Filed under: