US gives China a restrained National Day message after Xi-Trump summit
The US State Department marked China’s 77th National Day with a brief message wishing the Chinese people goodwill, peace, health and happiness. The statement omitted references to President Xi Jinping’s recent Washington visit and bilateral trade understandings, while analysts said it still suggested an interest in maintaining a working relationship.
The United States issued a notably brief message marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, five days after Chinese President Xi Jinping left Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement congratulated the Chinese people and wished them goodwill, peace, health and happiness in the coming year. It did not mention Xi’s visit, trade understandings reached during the trip or meetings planned between the leaders later in the year.
The message also omitted the word “prosperity”, which appeared in Rubio’s National Day greeting the previous year. The change came after a period of high-level contact, during which US and Chinese officials announced outcomes on trade and other issues. Atul Kumar of the Observer Research Foundation said the inclusion of “goodwill” was notable, while the omission of “prosperity” pointed to deeper economic rivalry.
He said the wording preserved formal diplomatic courtesy without explicitly endorsing or institutionalising summit diplomacy between Xi and US President Donald Trump. Chinese ambassador Xie Feng, speaking at a National Day reception in Washington, described the relationship between Xi and Trump as a valuable strategic asset. He said personal contact between the leaders had helped keep relations on course at critical moments.
Manoj Kewalramani of the Takshashila Institution said the statement nevertheless indicated that Washington was seeking a working relationship with Beijing rather than simply managing difficult issues or competing intensely. The supplied material places the latest greeting within a longer evolution in US messaging. Earlier statements under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s secretary of state, Antony Blinken, referred more openly to cooperation.
Messages became shorter and less focused on bilateral ties as tensions increased during Trump’s first term, including amid the tariff dispute. The latest statement therefore combined a cordial public greeting with limited reference to the broader relationship.
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