Trump: US-China ties 'never gotten along better'

Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan at the White House for a state dinner, saying ties between the two nations have strengthened despite differences in their systems.Recalling his visit to Beijing, Trump said the hospitality of the Chinese people was on full display and expressed hope that the US would extend the same honour during Xi's visit to Washington.

This is a great honour. 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.

We hope to show you the same honour as you returned to Washington for the first time in over a decade, he said.Trump said both leaders understood the differences between their nations while emphasising the importance of maintaining strong ties between the two countries. As the leaders of our two nations, President Xi and I both understand that we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure, and we've never gotten along better...Together, we can continue to build a relationship that promotes prosperity and security for future generations, Trump said.Trump gifted Xi Jinping a bald eagle statue during the state dinner hosted at the White House.The approximately three-foot-tall statue, placed on a podium, was designed by an American artist in collaboration with Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, according to the President's remarks at the dinner.Calling the bald eagle a symbol of the United States, Trump said it represents the country's free and soaring spirit and expressed hope that the statue would be displayed at a prominent location in Beijing.Trump said, I present President Xi with a gift made by an extraordinary American artist, one of the greatest in the world and designed in personal collaboration with Melania and myself.

The bald eagle is a national symbol of the United States and an embodiment of the free and soaring spirit of America. We hope it'll find a nice place, a wonderful place in Beijing.