Xi praises 'Make America Great Again' during public remarks at summit with Trump

Chinese President Xi Jinping used one of Donald Trump’s signature political slogans during public remarks at their Beijing summit on Thursday, saying China’s development could be “compatible with making America great again.” The comment circulated in video clips and live coverage from a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People, where Xi and Trump appeared together after bilateral talks. Official Chinese and U.S. government pages confirmed the summit and banquet schedule on May 14, though the full banquet transcript was not immediately available on official sites. Public images and live reports from the event also showed senior U.S. business executives, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, in attendance. ### Where did Xi use the phrase? Sky News live coverage on May 14 reported that Xi said China’s rejuvenation could work with “making US great again” during the Beijing summit events. Firstpost’s live coverage separately described Xi as saying China’s progress was “compatible with making America great again,” matching the phrase highlighted in social clips. Because the remark appeared first through live reports and circulating video rather than a published official transcript, the wording should be treated as based on contemporaneous media and social documentation. (mfa.gov.cn) The Chinese foreign ministry’s account of the daytime talks did not include that slogan line in the excerpt available on its website. Its official summary instead said Xi told Trump he was ready to work with him to make 2026 “a historic, landmark year” for relations and described a new vision of “constructive strategic stability.” ### What was happening around the remark? (news.sky.com) May 14 was the first full day of Trump’s state visit to China, which Beijing said would run from May 13 to May 15. Xi hosted Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for talks in the morning and a state banquet later in the day, according to Chinese and White House materials. Reuters and other live reports described the summit as focused on trade, Taiwan, technology and the Iran war. (mfa.gov.cn) Trump used his own banquet remarks to praise the relationship and invite Xi to Washington. Multiple live reports said Trump formally invited Xi and his wife to the White House in September, though a detailed White House readout of the banquet remarks was not immediately posted on the briefings page. (mfa.gov.cn) ### Why did the line draw attention? Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan is the defining phrase of his political brand, so Xi’s use of it in public remarks stood out immediately in social clips. The wording was notable because Xi paired it with China’s own development narrative, according to live coverage that said he framed China’s rejuvenation as compatible with U.S. national revival. (msn.com) Reuters reporting from the summit said Xi had earlier mixed warmer language on trade with a warning that mishandling Taiwan could push relations onto a dangerous path. That contrast made the slogan reference part of a broader day in which both leaders publicly stressed ties while leaving major disputes unresolved. ### Which executives were at the banquet? (news.sky.com) Elon Musk and Tim Cook were among the best-known executives visibly linked to Trump’s China delegation on Thursday. Getty Images metadata from the event listed Cook at the Great Hall of the People, and Reuters-based photo and live coverage identified Musk at the ceremony and banquet events in Beijing. (msn.com) Other reports said Trump’s delegation also included Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang and other corporate leaders. Those executives’ presence underscored the business dimension of the trip as Trump sought progress on trade and market access alongside geopolitical talks. ### What can readers verify directly right now? (gettyimages.com) The White House live page shows videos for Trump’s May 14 greeting and bilateral meeting with Xi, confirming the official summit events in Beijing. China’s foreign ministry has published its own account of the talks, including Xi’s language on trade outcomes and longer-term relations. For the banquet remark itself, the clearest currently available verification comes from live coverage, contemporaneous media reports and the circulating event footage referenced in those reports, rather than from a posted official transcript. (firstpost.com) May 15 is the final day of Trump’s state visit to China under Beijing’s announced schedule, and further White House or Chinese readouts could provide fuller transcripts or participant lists from the banquet. Trump’s invitation for a September White House visit by Xi is the next named milestone cited in live coverage from Thursday’s events. (mfa.gov.cn) (whitehouse.gov)