International Desk: Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a grand welcome banquet on Thursday evening in honor of visiting U.S. President Donald Trump at the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where the two leaders delivered speeches emphasizing cooperation, mutual respect and a shared commitment to global stability and prosperity.

In his address, President Xi said this year marks the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, as more than 1.4 billion Chinese people continue advancing Chinese modernization through high-quality development, drawing strength from the country’s more than 5,000 years of civilization.

Xi also noted that the United States is celebrating the 250th anniversary of its independence this year, with more than 300 million Americans renewing the spirit of patriotism, innovation and pioneering ambition as they embark on a new journey of national development.

“The Chinese and American peoples are both great peoples,” Xi said, adding that the goals of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can fully coexist, complement one another and contribute positively to the world.

President Xi further stressed that the development of China-U.S. relations over the years has demonstrated that mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation are the keys to maintaining stable bilateral ties.

He pointed out that China-U.S. relations directly affect the well-being of more than 1.7 billion people in the two countries and are closely linked to the interests of over 8 billion people around the world. Xi called on both sides to jointly shoulder this historic responsibility and ensure that the “giant ship” of China-U.S. relations continues moving steadily in the right direction.

President Trump, in his remarks, expressed deep gratitude to Xi Jinping for the warm hospitality extended during his visit to China.

“Today is a beautiful day. This is an important visit,” Trump said, noting that the two sides had engaged in active and constructive dialogue.

He added that the American and Chinese peoples have long respected and admired one another, describing the friendship between the two nations as enduring and significant.

Calling U.S.-China ties “the world’s most important bilateral relationship,” Trump said cooperation between the two countries would continue to strengthen in pursuit of a brighter future for the world.

Anandi–Touhid, China Media Group