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Xi hosts banquet for Trump in Beijing, calls China–US ties “most important”

By The South Asia Times

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday hosted a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in honor of US President Donald Trump, who is on a state visit to China, Xinhua News reported.

Addressing the banquet, Xi said the China–US relationship is “the most important bilateral relationship in the current world,” stressing that both sides must ensure it develops in a stable and constructive direction.

“We must make it work, and never mess it up,” Xi said, adding that cooperation benefits both countries while confrontation leads to losses for both.

“Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals,” he said, noting that Beijing and Washington had agreed to build a “constructive China–US relationship of strategic stability” aimed at promoting steady and sustainable development in bilateral ties.

Xi emphasized that mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are key to advancing relations, adding that China–U.S. ties concern not only the well-being of more than 1.7 billion people in both countries, but also the interests of over 8 billion people worldwide.

In his remarks, Trump said the talks between the two sides had been “positive and constructive,” describing the relationship as the most consequential bilateral relationship globally and calling for expanded cooperation to build a better future.

The banquet marks a key moment in Trump’s state visit, which includes high-level talks focused on trade, global security and geopolitical tensions, Xinhua reported.