[Via interpreter] Let me say a few words first, and then I'd like to invite you, Mr. President, to deliver your opening remarks. President Trump, I'm very pleased to meet you in Beijing. Welcome back to China after nine years. The whole world is watching our meeting. Currently, transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the globe, and the international situation is fluid and turbulent.
[Via interpreter] The world has come to a new crossroads. Can China and the United States overcome the Thucydides Trap and create a new paradigm of major country relations? Can we meet global challenges together and provide more stability for the world? Can we, in the interests of the wellbeing of our two peoples and the future of humanity, build a brighter future together for our bilateral relations?
[Via interpreter] These are the questions vital to history, to the world, and to the people. They are the questions of our times that you and I need to answer as leaders of major countries. This year is the 250th anniversary of American Independence. Congratulations to you and to the American people. I always believe that our two countries have more common interests than differences.
[Via interpreter] Success in one is an opportunity for the other, and a stable bilateral relationship is good for the world. China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. We should be partners not rivals. We should help each other succeed and prosper together and find the right way for major countries to get along well with each other in the new era.
[Via interpreter] Mr. President, I look forward to our discussions on major issues important to our two countries and the world and working together with you to set the course for and steer the giant ship of China-US relations, so as to make 2026 a historic landmark year that opens up a new chapter in China-US relations.
[Via interpreter] I will pause here and hand over to you, Mr. President. Thank you.
Well, President Xi, I wanna thank you very much. Uh, first of all, uh, that was an honor like few have ever seen before. And I think I was particularly impressed by those children. They were happy. They were beautiful. The military is obvious, it couldn't be better, but those children were amazing, and they represent so much, and I know, I know they represent so much to you.
You and I have known each other now for a long time. In fact, the longest relationship of our two countries that any president and president has had, and, uh, that's, to me, an honor. We've had a fantastic relationship. We've gotten along. When there were difficulties, we worked it out. I would call you, and you would call me. And whenever we had a problem, people don't know, whenever we had a problem, we worked that out very quickly.
Uh, we're going to have a fantastic future together. Uh, such respect for China, the job you've done. Uh, you're a great leader. I say it to everybody, you're a great leader. Sometimes, people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway because it's true. I only say the truth. And I just want to say, uh, behalf of all of the great delegation that we have, we have the greatest businessmen, the biggest, and I guess the best in the world.
We have amazing people, and they're all with me. They, every single one of them, uh, we ask the top 30 in the world, every single one of them said yes. And I didn't want the second or the third in the company. I wanted only the top, and they're here today to pay respects to you and to China, and they look forward to trade and doing business, and it's going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf.
So I really look very much forward to our discussion. It's a big discussion. There are those that say this is maybe the biggest summit ever. They can never remember anything like it. It's, I can say in the United States, it's, people aren't talking about anything else.
But it's an honor to be with you. It's an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before. Thank you very much. Thank you.