WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump got a grand welcome in Tiananmen Square from Chinese President Xi Jinping that included a red carpet arrival, boisterous flower-and-flag-waving schoolchildren and a 21-gun salute, as he officially began a two-day visit to Beijing.
“That was an honor like few I've ever seen been before," Trump marveled on May 14 in opening remarks at his talks with Xi a short time later.
Hours later, as he delivered a toast in the Great Hall of the People, where he was a the guest of honor at a state banquet, Trump was still buoyant. "It really was a magnificent welcome," he said. "Like none other."
Standing under a pagoda-style roof and in front a sign welcoming him to the country in English and Chinese, Trump extended formal invitation to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to come to the White House on Sept. 24 for a reciprocal visit.
Guests at the VIP dinner chowed down on a menu included lobster in tomato soup, crispy beef ribs, Beijing roast duck, slow-Cooked salmon in mustard sauce, pan-fried pork bun and a trumpet shell-shaped pastry, Tiramisu and ice cream for dessert.
