President Donald Trump gifted President Xi Jinping a bald eagle sculpture at a state dinner, symbolizing the US spirit.

Published on: Sep 25, 2026, 15:39:03 IST

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During a prestigious state dinner held in Washington, US President Donald Trump presented Chinese President Xi Jinping with a sculptural representation of a bald eagle, an avian species indigenous to North America and the official national emblem of the United States.

Why Trump gifted Xi Jinping a bald eagle sculpture

The presentation of this gift, which was formally revealed to distinguished attendees at the Thursday evening dinner, was accompanied by Trump's remarks characterizing the artwork as an embodiment of "the free and soaring spirit of America".

“The bald eagle is the national symbol of the United States and an embodiment of the free and soaring spirit of America,” the POTUS said. “And we hope it will find a nice place, a wonderful place, in Beijing.”

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He stated that both he and First Lady Melania Trump were involved in its design process. The statue represents a significant—though occasionally complex—component of international diplomacy: the practice of exchanging gifts.

Trump invites Xi to tour new ballroom

The state dinner held Thursday evening featured a three-course culinary experience showcasing “American ingredients infused with subtle Chinese influences,” drawing inspiration from the first lady's aesthetic preferences.

“There is a lot of details that comes in to plan the state dinner,” Melania Trump told Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning. “There is protocol that you need to follow. Every detail I was involved [in] from tomorrow.”

Significance of gifts

These gifts constitute a modest yet substantial element within the broader objective of Xi and Trump's three-day summit: establishing personal connections between the leaders of two world superpowers.

According to Daniel Kritenbrink, a partner at The Asia Group, the two leaders will address numerous intricate matters, as per BBC. “So that personal relationship means something. I think the gift exchange is one key part of that.”

Kritenbrink, who served as a United States diplomat for more than three decades with extensive experience throughout Asia, underscores that personal relationships hold particular significance for Xi.

He contends that the direct relationship between Trump and Xi functions as the binding force maintaining “the most complex and the most consequential relationship in the world”.

Gifts have maintained a distinctive role throughout the Trump presidency.

The US President has been presented with a luxury jumbo jet, an engraved gold bar, a diamond and jewel-adorned gold ring, and several other items.

Ole Jacob Sending, affiliated with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, notes: “You think about the Trump presidency in that way, I think gift giving, certainly broadly defined, is very much part of how he operates.”

Xi gifts two Chinese pandas to Atlanta zoo

On Thursday morning, Xi announced gifting of two Chinese pandas to an Atlanta zoo, alongside the establishment of a new student exchange initiative designed to facilitate the enrollment of 100,000 American students in Chinese educational institutions over a five-year period.

"The giant panda have been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and the Americans," Xi stated. "In a few days, two pandas – Ping Ping and Fu Shuang – will come to their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people."

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