From Confucius to Tsinghua: Trump invokes history to anchor China-US future
Both leaders used carefully crafted speeches at Thursday night’s state banquet to lean into the two countries’ deep and historical ties
He framed the relationship as “one of the most consequential” in world history, drawing a thread from the Confucian values admired by America’s founders to the 20th century roots of Tsinghua University, the Chinese leader’s alma mater.
“At the request of China’s ambassador, it was president Theodore Roosevelt who provided the funds to establish President Xi’s alma mater, Tsinghua University,” Trump said, in a reference seen as a calculated nod to the institution’s unique origins.
Tsinghua was established in 1911 after the United States decided to return indemnity funds following the 1901 Boxer rebellion. Acknowledging that the reparations exceeded actual damages, Washington agreed to redirect the capital into educational help.