US President, Donald Trump is set to take Chinese President Xi Jinping to the National Archives today, showcasing some of the United States’ most important founding documents as the Chinese leader concludes a three-day state visit to Washington.
Xi is expected to tour the institution that houses the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights before departing the capital.
The visit comes as the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of its founding, giving Trump an opportunity to highlight key symbols of American democracy to the leader of China, the world’s most powerful communist state. Trump said that he wanted to show Xi “some of the greatest treasures of that proud history.”
The National Archives is currently featuring a special exhibition titled “The American Story,” which highlights major accomplishments and developments in US history while also depicting some of the country’s more difficult and contested periods.
Trump had already given Xi a glimpse of one of the nation’s founding documents on Thursday, showing him a wall-mounted copy of the Declaration of Independence displayed in the Oval Office.
The US President also said that he wanted Xi to see historical artefacts reflecting the relationship between the United States and China. “Just as our ancestors reached across the ocean centuries ago to trade, to learn, and to build a better world, our two countries do really the same thing, and we’re very proud of it,” Trump said.
Xi’s final day in Washington is scheduled to begin at the White House, where Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host the Chinese President and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for tea before the National Archives visit.
The Archives stop forms part of a state visit that has placed considerable emphasis on ceremonial diplomacy and efforts by both leaders to publicly project stability in the relationship between Washington and Beijing.
Trump and Xi have sought to emphasise cooperation and the importance of maintaining ties between the world’s two largest economies. However, the visit has not produced major breakthroughs on several significant issues, including trade and the safety and governance of artificial intelligence.
The two leaders also held a 90-minute closed-door meeting on Thursday, during which they discussed issues including the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, according to the official Chinese government readout.
Trump also gave Xi a tour of several features he has added or plans to add to the White House, including a gallery displaying portraits of US presidents and a new 100-foot-long granite helicopter landing pad. Trump also pointed out a ballroom that remains under construction.
The ceremonial elements of the visit have been accompanied by efforts to reinforce the message that Washington and Beijing can maintain a working relationship despite significant differences between their political and economic systems.
During his remarks, Trump said that the two countries represented different systems but maintained enduring ties between their peoples.
Trump Hosts Xi at Lavish State Dinner
The diplomatic engagements were complemented by a black-tie state dinner hosted by Trump and Melania Trump on Thursday night, bringing together the Chinese delegation and prominent figures from the US business and technology sectors.
Among the technology industry leaders attending were Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman, and Dell Technologies Chairman and CEO Michael Dell.
Trump wore a tuxedo for the occasion, while Melania Trump wore a tuxedo-style outfit consisting of a white Saint Laurent cotton poplin blouse, a black silk cummerbund and black brocade trousers from Dolce & Gabbana. Xi wore a black suit, while Peng Liyuan attended in a red gown.
In his toast, Trump stated that the two Presidents recognised the differences between their political systems while maintaining that relations between their peoples remained strong. “President Xi and I both understand we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure, and we’ve never gotten along better,” Trump said.
He added that the two countries could continue working together to promote prosperity and security for future generations.
Xi, in his remarks, linked the leaders’ respective national ambitions, noting that Trump had pledged to “make America great again” while China remained committed to achieving “great national rejuvenation.” “These two goals are both ambitious and can surely be mutually reinforcing,” Xi said.
Trump also presented Xi with an eagle statue, saying it had been designed “in personal collaboration with Melania and myself.”
The National Archives visit is expected to bring the three-day state programme to a close, with Trump using the occasion to highlight American history and the enduring links between the two countries despite continuing disagreements over trade, technology and international security.
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