President Trump Delivers Remarks at the State Visit Welcome Ceremony for President Xi Jinping
Trump welcomed Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at the White House, noting that this is the first time a Chinese leader has made a second formal state visit to the United States. He reflected on their interactions and friendship, mentioned the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the U.S.-China Business Council, and stated that both sides would continue to cooperate in areas such as security, trade, technology, and artificial intelligence, concluding with the history of the U.S. and China fighting side-by-side during World War II.
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Thank you very much. It's a great honor. President Xi, Madam Peng, and the members of the Chinese delegation, I'm delighted to welcome you to the beautiful White House. Such a great honor. In May, we had the great privilege of visiting you in Beijing, where you received our delegation with spectacular and very beautiful hospitality. Now Melania and I are honored to host you in Washington as President Xi becomes the first ever Chinese leader to make a second formal state visit to America.
Today, Melania and I are honored to host you in Washington. President Xi, you have also become the first Chinese leader to make a second formal state visit to the United States.
From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people. We have spent time together all over the world, from Germany to Argentina, Japan to South Korea, and Beijing to Palm Beach, Florida. But remarkably, this is our first time meeting together here at the White House. And as President Xi has already seen, a lot has changed since he was last here.
Since my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have built a great friendship, a friendship based on mutual respect and the fundamental interests of our two peoples. We have spent time together all over the world, from Germany to Argentina, from Japan to South Korea, from Beijing to Palm Beach. But surprisingly, this is our first time meeting here at the White House. As President Xi himself can see, a lot has changed here since his last visit.
President Xi and Madame Peng's visit comes at an important historical moment for the United States: the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Tomorrow we will visit the National Archives to view some of the most precious treasures of that proud history, including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
We will also see artifacts that bear witness to the long and precious history of trade and cultural exchange between the United States and China. Just as our ancestors crossed the oceans centuries ago to trade, learn from each other, and build a better world together, today our two countries will once again contribute to the betterment of the world.
I am proud of the relationship between our two countries; we have a very good relationship.
President Xi and I have worked hand in hand to make significant progress on many issues facing our two countries. During the visit in May, we established a trade council. Through this successful new mechanism, both teams have been working hard to advance a more balanced trade relationship, including finding new market access opportunities for American farmers and ranchers.
During this visit, we will discuss security, trade, technology, artificial intelligence, also known as super-intelligence, and more. [The original text contains garbled segments here]. The decisions we make today in these areas will lay a solid foundation for world peace and prosperity for decades to come. [The original text contains garbled segments here]. If we can focus on our common interests, I believe we can achieve a great deal.
The pursuit of common interests throughout U.S.-China history has connected the people of our two countries, bridging vast distances and many differences, and even making our two nations allies in World War II, where we achieved success.
Brave American pilots volunteered to come to China to fight for its survival, becoming the legendary and extraordinary Flying Tigers. And the contact between the U.S. Marine Corps and the Chinese people also inspired the Marines to adopt a Chinese term that is still in use today. The U.S. Marine Corps uses it to express great enthusiasm, but in Chinese, its literal meaning is 'working together'.
Just as our people worked together to win that war, President Xi and I will continue working together to forge a better future for both of our nations. President Xi, Madam Peng, thank you once again for making this historic visit, and welcome to the United States of America. OK, thank you very much. Thank you.