President Xi Jinping spends Mid-Autumn Festival in the US for the second time — South China Morning Post

Chinese President Xi Jinping is spending the Mid-Autumn Festival on US soil for the second time during a state visit to the United States. According to the South China Morning Post, during a state banquet at the White House, he congratulated those present on the holiday, which Chinese tradition associates with family reunions.

In his toast, Xi said that his compatriots in China were celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival and wished the guests and their families a happy holiday.

Meeting at the White House

Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. On Thursday, an official ceremony was held at the White House, including a military review in the Rose Garden and other ceremonial events.

Trump and Xi held talks on technology, trade and resources. Peng Liyuan and the US first lady visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art. Later, the presidential couples gathered for a state dinner at the White House.

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On Friday, when China celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival, Xi is expected to take part in a private tea gathering involving the presidential couples and visit an exhibition of American founding documents.

Previous visit in 2015

The Mid-Autumn Festival also fell during Xi Jinping's previous state visit to the United States in 2015. At that time, he and Peng Liyuan arrived in Seattle and celebrated it with the Chinese community four days before the holiday. In a speech, Xi quoted Tang dynasty poet Wang Wei on thinking of loved ones during festive days.

On the day of the holiday in 2015, while in New York to attend the UN General Assembly after his visit to Washington, the Chinese presidential couple joined local Chinese communities and shared traditional mooncakes.