Published : 2025-01-29
On January 29, 1979, Premier of the State Council Deng Xiaoping(鄧小平) visited the United States and had a formal meeting with the then U.S. President Carter.
That morning, 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 Xiaoping 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.
Deng Xiaoping's visit to the United States lasted a total of 9 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, Carter specially arranged a large-scale cultural performance at the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts. The final program featured over 100 American children of different races singing in Chinese, "I Love Beijing Tiananmen".
