The gift was presented during a dinner hosted by Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, for President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House on September 24, 2026, during Xi’s visit to the United States.
The bald eagle represents the strength, freedom and independence of the United States. Trump said the sculpture reflected the spirit of freedom and America’s ability to soar with strength and grandeur. He also said that he and Melania Trump had been involved in its creation.
Gifts of this kind are part of diplomatic tradition, with countries using them as a way of strengthening relationships between leaders. However, such gifts can sometimes raise questions depending on their value or the messages they convey.
Daniel Kritenbrink, a foreign policy expert and former U.S. diplomat who spent more than 30 years working extensively in Asia, told the BBC that although Trump and Xi discuss difficult issues affecting their countries, they are also building a relationship on a personal level.
“They are going to talk about all the difficult issues, but at the end of the day, they are also human beings. That is why their personal relationship matters. Gift-giving is an important part of that relationship.”
Kritenbrink said personal ties between leaders are particularly important to Xi Jinping and can help maintain relations between the two countries, whose relationship has implications far beyond their borders.
Meanwhile, Xi Jinping announced that China would send two pandas to a zoo in Atlanta, United States. Pandas are an important symbol in China, representing peace, friendship and goodwill.
Xi said pandas have served as ambassadors of friendship between the Chinese and American people.
“In the coming days, two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will arrive at their new home at Zoo Atlanta and meet the American people.”
President Xi Jinping also announced a programme aimed at enabling 100,000 Americans to study in China over the next five years.
The Trump-Xi meeting comes as the two countries continue to compete in artificial intelligence technology, following a prolonged trade war between them.
President Xi Jinping said China and the United States should develop new ways of working together so that both countries can contribute to addressing challenges in a changing world.
Xi said that as major global powers, China and the United States should act as responsible countries committed to promoting peace and development around the world.
The dinner was attended by leaders of major global technology companies, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Before the dinner, Trump said he and Xi had made significant progress on issues affecting the two countries.
Xi Jinping also said he hoped Chinese companies operating in the United States would be treated fairly and called for a business environment based on fair competition.
