Xi Jinping woos Trump, says ‘make America great again’ can go hand-in-hand with China’s rise
In a strikingly warm message on Thursday at the Great Hall of the People, Xi Jinping described ties between China and the United States as the most important bilateral relationship in the world, urging both sides to preserve and strengthen it.
“We both believe that the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world. We must make it work and never mess it up,” Xi said during his remarks as he met US President Donald Trump in Beijing.
Cooperation over confrontation
The Chinese leader framed the future of relations as a choice between shared prosperity and mutual decline, stressing that both nations benefit from working together and suffer when tensions rise.
According to Xi, “both China and the United States stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation,” adding that the two countries should be partners rather than rivals.
He also said the relationship could only move forward steadily if it is built on mutual respect.
From the Bilateral Meeting in Beijing:
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 14, 2026
President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China. pic.twitter.com/WaH8hR1ZV3
Global stakes beyond two nations
Xi noted that the relationship between the world’s two biggest economies affects not only the 1.7 billion people living in both countries combined, but also the remaining 8 billion people around the world.
“The world is changing and turbulent,” he said, underscoring the global impact of Washington-Beijing ties.
Xi invokes Trump’s signature slogan
In one of the most eye-catching moments of his speech, Xi linked China’s long-standing political goal of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” with Donald Trump’s famous campaign slogan.
“The people of China and the United States are both great peoples. Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand,” Xi said.
The remark blended a core slogan of the Chinese Communist Party with one of Trump’s most recognisable political messages.
Trump returns the praise
Trump also struck a positive tone, calling the US-China relationship “one of the most consequential relationships in world history.”
He pointed to growing cultural exchanges between the two nations, saying many Chinese people now enjoy basketball and blue jeans, while Chinese restaurants in America outnumber the five largest fast-food chains combined.
“The world is a special world with the two of us united and together,” Trump said.
White House visit announced
Trump announced that Xi, along with First Lady Peng Liyuan, would make a reciprocal visit to the White House on September 24.
He thanked Xi for the welcome and proposed a toast to the enduring ties between the American and Chinese people.
Strait of Hormuz discussed
Earlier in the day, the two leaders reportedly agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to ensure the free flow of global oil supplies.
According to the White House, Xi also expressed interest in buying more American oil to reduce China’s dependence on the strait in the future, though Beijing’s official summary of the meeting did not mention that point.
China remains highly exposed to disruptions in energy shipments passing through the crucial waterway.
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