Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon for a state visit to the United States at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were warmly greeted by Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, at the airport in a rare planeside welcome.
In a written speech, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the U.S. people on behalf of the Chinese people.
China and the United States are both great countries, and the two peoples are both great peoples, Xi said in the speech, adding that the two peoples have maintained friendly exchanges for a long time and their interests are deeply intertwined.
China and the United States should be partners, not rivals, he said, noting that the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand, and that the two countries can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.
Xi noted that he and Trump agreed to build a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability during Trump’s visit to China in May, which has provided strategic guidance for the future development of bilateral ties.
China and the United States should work in the same direction, promote a stable relationship featuring cooperation as the mainstay, moderate competition, manageable differences, and promises of peace, Xi said.
He said China and the United States, as two major countries, should find a right way to get along in the new era.
Both Presidents are set for serious discussions and negotiations on trade, global economy and geopolitics.
