President Trump Delivers Remarks at a White House State Dinner
President Trump welcomed President Xi, Madam Peng, and the Chinese delegation to a State Dinner at the White House, recalling the historical exchanges between the people of China and the United States, and the experience of the Chinese diplomatic mission that visited the U.S. 158 years ago. He introduced the White House State Dining Room, which is under construction, and presented President Xi with a gift themed around the bald eagle, before proposing a toast to the future peace and success of U.S.-China relations and the peoples of both countries.
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Please be seated. It is a great honor, President Xi, Madam Peng, and members of the Chinese delegation. Melania and I are delighted to welcome you once again to the White House. You are truly outstanding, amazing people. The hospitality of the Chinese people was on full display during my visit to Beijing earlier this year, and tonight we hope to show you the same honor as you return to Washington for the first time in over a decade.
Long ago, the first European explorers discovered the American continent while searching for new sea routes to the East, to China. That quest gave birth to the modern world and this beautiful country, and ultimately gave rise to a lasting friendship between the people of China and the United States. It is that friendship that we celebrate tonight.
East and West ultimately met in America. 158 years ago, the first official Chinese diplomatic mission visited the United States. In Boston, they met with American thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau; in New York, they dined with governors, mayors, and titans of Wall Street; and in Washington, they came to the White House for the first State Dinner ever held between China and the United States.
East and West eventually did meet here in America when the first formal delegation of Chinese diplomats came to the United States 158 years ago. In Boston they met American thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. In New York they dined with the governor, the mayor, and titans of Wall Street. And in Washington they came to the White House.
Tonight, we honor the spirit of that first encounter on American soil. Top leaders from the worlds of business, culture, and politics are gathered here. On one hand, China carries thousands of years of history and tradition, from Sun Tzu to Sun Yat-sen; Americans inherit a tradition of faith from Jerusalem and Rome, democracy from ancient Athens, military prowess from Sparta, and the freedom declared 250 years ago in Philadelphia.
As leaders of our countries, President Xi and I understand that we represent different systems, but the bonds between our peoples are strong and enduring. Our relationship is better than ever. Since the first merchant ships sailed from New York Harbor to the Pearl River Delta, the people of China and the United States have traded goods and shared knowledge, customs, and ideas. This is the foundation of our commerce and mutual respect. We should work together to continue to foster this relationship for the prosperity and security of future generations.
I want to say a few words off the teleprompter. Behind us is a curtain. It looks very beautiful. Behind the curtain is the entrance to our brand-new ballroom. This ballroom is something that many presidents have wanted to build over the past 150 years, but none of them succeeded.
President Xi, Madam Peng, behind us is a curtain, and behind the curtain is the entrance to our brand-new ballroom. It can be said that this ballroom is something that many presidents have wanted to build over the past 150 years, but none of them succeeded. Once completed, the ballroom will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 guests.
Regrettably, our current meeting room can only accommodate 140 people, but once completed, that ballroom will be able to accommodate many, many more. So, after we finish dinner and the performance, I would like to invite President Xi and Madam Peng to come behind the curtain with me to see the construction site that we have cleaned up, and to see the magnificent scene within the construction site.
In the spirit of this friendship, I am honored to present President Xi with a gift. This gift comes from an outstanding American artist, arguably one of the best artists today, and was designed by Melania and me. The bald eagle, also known as the American eagle, is the national symbol of the United States and embodies the spirit of American freedom soaring high. We hope it will be placed in a place of honor in Beijing.
I want to thank you for making your journey, and it is a long journey, to America during our 250th year. I'd like to raise a toast to President Xi, Madame Peng, and the long relationship between China and America that has bridged thousands of miles and spanned hundreds of years. May all of our people know a future of harmony, peace, and success.
President Xi, Madame Peng, Melania and I thank you for visiting the United States during our nation's 250th anniversary. I would now like to propose a toast to President Xi and Madame Peng, and to the profound friendship between China and the United States that has bridged thousands of miles and spanned hundreds of years. May the people of both countries have a better, more harmonious, and more peaceful future.
Let us toast you. Now, please welcome President Xi to the podium to give his remarks. Thank you all.