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Xi Ends Trump Visit With National Archives Stop
Confirmed
In Short: Chinese President Xi Jinping capped his state visit to the U.S. with a symbolic final stop at the National Archives.
Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his state visit to the United States with a visit to the National Archives, a site housing key American documents like the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.
The visit to the National Archives came after a whirlwind tour that included a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, where a frenzied press corps sought glimpses of the two leaders.
During his visit, Xi also promised two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta, continuing China's long-standing practice of using panda gift diplomacy to strengthen international relations.
Panda gift diplomacy dates back to 1972, when China gifted two pandas to the United States following President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China.
The National Archives visit was seen as a symbolic gesture to highlight the importance of the U.S.-China relationship.
The visit came amid a contentious political climate in the U.S., with a recent vote in Congress marking a symbolic rebuke of the president over the largely unpopular war.
What this adds
The National Archives visit was not the only diplomatic gesture made during Xi's visit; the promise of pandas to Zoo Atlanta underscores China's use of cultural diplomacy.
What's confirmed
- A White House official told Fox News Digital before the visit that Trump would explore a wide-ranging deal on possible tariff reductions on non-strategic goods in the meeting with Xi.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping, leader of the country’s ruling Communist Party, will depart the United States today, but not before a final stop at the National Archives.
- A frenzied press, foreign and domestic, scurried around the White House grounds to catch glimpses of Trump and Xi, who does not often visit the West.
What's still developing
- The National Archives houses some of America's most important documents, including the U.S.