BEIJING, Thursday, May 14, 2026 (WNP): President of China Xi Jinping said China and the United States should pursue mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, as he hosted a state banquet in honour of President Donald Trump during his state visit to Beijing.
Addressing the banquet attended by members of the American delegation and senior Chinese officials, President Xi described the visit as “historic” and said both nations carried major responsibilities not only for their own peoples but also for global peace and prosperity.
Welcoming President Trump and the US delegation, Xi noted that China was advancing its modernization drive based on high-quality development, while the United States was marking the 250th anniversary of its independence and moving forward with its own national development goals.
“The Chinese and American peoples are both great peoples,” Xi said, adding that China’s national rejuvenation and the vision to “Make America Great Again” could coexist and contribute positively to the world.
The Chinese president recalled the historic opening of relations between Beijing and Washington more than five decades ago, including the role played by former US President Richard Nixon and former US diplomat Henry Kissinger in initiating diplomatic engagement through “Ping-Pong diplomacy.”
Xi said the reopening of dialogue between the two countries after more than 20 years of estrangement became a milestone in contemporary international relations and paved the way for decades of cooperation and exchanges.
Referring to his interactions with President Trump, Xi said both leaders had maintained communication through meetings and telephone conversations aimed at keeping bilateral relations generally stable amid changing international circumstances.
He emphasized that China and the United States shared the view that bilateral ties represented “the world’s most important bilateral relationship” and stressed that cooperation benefited both countries while confrontation harmed both sides.
“The two countries should become partners rather than opponents,” Xi said.
The Chinese president further stated that both sides had agreed to build a constructive and strategically stable relationship to ensure the steady, healthy, and sustainable development of China-US relations.
He said such cooperation would contribute to greater peace, prosperity, and progress worldwide.
Highlighting global challenges and instability, Xi said relations between China and the United States affected the well-being of nearly 1.7 billion people in both countries as well as the interests of more than eight billion people around the world.
He urged both nations to shoulder their historical responsibilities and ensure that bilateral relations continued moving “along the correct course.”
Concluding his remarks, Xi proposed a toast to the prosperity and development of both countries, the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples, and the health of President Trump and all guests attending the banquet.
