BEIJING — On Thursday evening, President Trump officially invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife to visit the White House, emphasizing what he described as “the rich and enduring ties between the American and Chinese people.”
“It is my honor to extend an invitation to you and Madame Peng [Liyuan] to visit us at the White House on September 24, and we eagerly anticipate your visit,” Trump announced at the conclusion of a brief toast before a state banquet held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The US president expressed gratitude, highlighting the special relationship between the two nations, a term he typically uses to refer to the United States’ connection with the United Kingdom.
In his toast, Trump reflected on the history of Sino-American relations, beginning with the arrival of the first US consul, Samuel Shaw, in Macao in 1784.
“Chinese workers played a crucial role in building the railroad tracks that linked our Atlantic coast to the Pacific,” Trump said. “American travelers to China contributed to spreading literacy and modern medicine. Furthermore, at the request of China’s ambassador, President Theodore Roosevelt provided the funds to establish President Xi’s alma mater, Tsinghua University.”
Trump also noted cultural exchanges, saying, “Many Chinese now have a love for basketball and blue jeans,” and pointed out that “Chinese restaurants in America today outnumber the combined total of the five largest fast food chains in the United States. That’s quite significant.”
The banquet marked the conclusion of the first day of two days of talks between Trump and Xi on the first visit by an American president to China since Trump made the same trip in 2017.
Xi Jinping previously made a state visit to the US in September 2015, where he was feted with a state dinner by then-President Barack Obama.
