The Bald Eagle: What's the Secret Behind Trump and Melania's Gift to China's President?

President Donald Trump surprised Chinese President Xi Jinping with a gift during his visit to the White House—a sculpture of a bald eagle, which left attendees astonished.

This occurred during a state dinner hosted by the U.S. president for his Chinese guest at the White House, where Trump presented the gift: a sculpture of a bird native to North America and the national symbol of the United States.

Trump said this gift, unveiled before senior guests during the dinner on Thursday, embodied "the free and soaring spirit of America."

He mentioned that he, along with First Lady Melania Trump, had helped design the statue, which represents a significant aspect—though sometimes complex—in international diplomacy: the exchange of gifts.

Such gifts are a small yet meaningful element within the broader goal of the summit between Xi and Trump, which lasted three days and aimed to build personal relationships between leaders of two of the world’s superpowers.

On Thursday morning, Xi announced a gift consisting of two Chinese giant pandas for a zoo in Atlanta, plus a new student exchange program designed to bring 100,000 American students to study in China over five years, according to BBC.

It should be noted that during Xi Jinping’s official visit to the United States in 2013, then-U.S. President Barack Obama gifted him an intricately carved chair made from California redwood, a local wood type from the region where they met. They later sat together on it, smiling for the cameras.

President Joe Biden signed into law a congressional bill amending U.S. legislation to officially designate the bald eagle—the bird widely recognized for its white head, yellow beak, and brown body—as the national bird.

The bald eagle has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States, used on official documents, since 1782. The seal features the eagle alongside an olive branch, arrows, a shield resembling a flag, a motto, and a constellation of stars.

In the same year, Congress designated the bald eagle as a national emblem, with its image printed on official documents, the presidential flag, military insignia, and U.S. currency.