Published : 2026-01-29

On 29 January, 1979, Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平), the then Premier of China, visited the United States and had a formal meeting with the then U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

That morning, President Carter held a grand welcome ceremony for Deng Xiaoping. For the first time, the United States' flag and China's flag were hoisted side by side on the South Lawn of the White House.

Deng was the first Chinese leader to visit the United States, and it was his only formal public visit during his tenure as the supreme leader of China.

Deng Xiaoping's visit to the U.S. lasted a total of nine days, covering multiple cities including Washington, Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle.

During this period, he attended nearly 80 talks and meetings, participated in about 20 banquets or receptions, delivered 22 formal speeches, and had 8 press meetings or attended press conferences.

To leave a deep impression on Deng Xiaoping, President Carter specially arranged a large-scale cultural performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The final programme featured over 100 American children of different races singing in Chinese, "I Love Beijing Tiananmen".