Trump addresses ‘my friend’ Xi at lavish state banquet in China | IN FULL

President Donald Trump addressed a lavish state banquet in Beijing’s Hall of the People with Chinese president Xi Jinping, bringing to an end the first day of his high-stakes state visit to China. In his remarks, delivered shortly after 6pm local time (6am ET, 11am BST), Trump said it is a “great honor” to visit China, adding that he and Xi had “extremely positive and productive conversations.” He referred to his counterpart as “my friend.” He then formally invited Xi to visit the White House in September, before proposing a toast to the “rich and enduring ties” between both nations. During his own speech at the podium, Xi described the American president’s visit as “historic.” He further called on both the U.S. and China to be “partners rather than rivals,” adding, “We must make it work.” “Achieving the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand,” he said. Following their meetings earlier Thursday, Xi warned Trump that tensions over Taiwan could lead to an “extremely dangerous situation” in an ominous threat. Watch more on Independent TV: https://tinyurl.com/yc7ukx9n The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Independent Find us on social: TikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@independent Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/the.independent/ X (Twitter) / https://twitter.com/Independent Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnline Download the iOS & Android app: https://tinyurl.com/2s3ts5dh Sign up to our newsletters: https://tinyurl.com/2bmw565x Help to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust: https://www.independent.co.uk/donations