&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘We’ve never gotten along better’: Trump praises Xi, jokes about White House ballroom at high-stakes state dinner")
US President Donald Trump used the White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday (Sep 24) to praise their relationship, saying the two had “never gotten along better” and thanking Xi for making the long journey from China to Washington.
The dinner came during Xi's first state visit to the United States in more than a decade, with the leaders trying to manage tensions over trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and the war in Iran. Trump had earlier in the day described the talks as a major meeting and said the two sides had made “tremendous strides”.
During the dinner speech, Trump largely stuck to his prepared remarks during the dinner, which celebrated US-China ties, but made an unscripted detour to one of his signature projects at the White House: the construction of a new ballroom.
Trump praises Xi, US-China ties
The president's formal remarks focused mainly on the long history of relations between the United States and China and his assessment of the current relationship with Xi. Thanking the Chinese leader for travelling to the US, Trump said: “We’ve never gotten along better.”
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Referring to the broader US-China relationship, Trump acknowledged the political and economic differences between Washington and Beijing while highlighting areas where the two countries have common interests. “President Xi and I both understand that we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure,” Trump said.
However, he repeatedly emphasised his personal relationship with Xi in the run-up to the visit, describing it as a key part of managing disagreements between the two governments.
Xi calls for peaceful coexistence
Xi struck a more measured tone during his own remarks. He called on China and the United States to maintain communication, manage their differences and “coexist in peace”.
“China and the United States must act as responsible major countries,” Xi said, according to reports of his remarks. He also said the two countries could gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation.
Also read | SPY VS SPY: As Xi meets Trump, a 12-year history of US-China espionage accusations | WION Decodes
Trump's ballroom detour
Turning to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, Trump said they could be the first guests to enter the ballroom, even though the project remains under construction and is still about a year from completion. “As a special treat, you could be the first people to enter our ballroom,” Trump said.
He then joked about the unfinished site, telling guests that anyone interested could take a look after the evening’s entertainment. “Anybody who wants to walk into a construction site that’s nice and clean and sparkling, it’s our honour to have you do so,” Trump said.
Xi's state visit is due to conclude on Friday, when he and Peng are scheduled to have tea with Trump and First Lady Melania Trump before visiting the National Archives.
