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Chinese President Xi Jinping adopted a warm and conciliatory tone during a state banquet honouring US President Donald Trump on Thursday, proposing that China's "great rejuvenation" and America's "Make America Great Again" agenda could advance together as the two powers work towards a more stable bilateral relationship.
In a high-stakes toast in Beijing during dinner, Xi characterised the bond between the globe's two largest economies as the most vital bilateral connection of the modern era, issuing a firm caution that both nations "must make it work and never mess it up." "The people of China and the United States are both great peoples," Xi remarked, adding that the pursuit of their respective national goals "can go hand in hand." He further noted that "both the countries can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world." Throughout the evening, the Chinese leader consistently advocated for collaboration, asserting that both countries stand to benefit from "cooperation" and suffer from "confrontation." He maintained that the two powers "should be partners rather than rivals," underscoring that "mutual respect" remains the "key to whether the relationship can advance." Sharing insights into their diplomatic deliberations, Xi disclosed that he and Trump had engaged in "in-depth exchanges" regarding bilateral and international concerns. He stated that they had "agreed to build a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability to promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-US relations." Responding to Xi's warm sentiments, President Trump extended an invitation to the Chinese leader for a White House visit on 24 September. Reflecting on the shared history between the nations, Trump noted that "the relationship between the American and Chinese people goes back all the way to America's founding." He recalled the arrival of the first American consul, Samuel Shaw, in 1784, observing that "two and a half centuries later, that first connection has grown into one of the most consequential relationships in world history." Trump highlighted that this mutual admiration is long-standing, mentioning a stone tablet gifted by Chinese admirers of George Washington to the Washington Monument. He noted that the gift "bears the words of a Chinese official who called the great General and Statesman, a hero among men." Praising the shared values of "hard work, courage and achievement," Trump affirmed the global significance of their partnership, stating, "the world is a special world with the two of us united and together." (ANI)
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