US State Department issues brief National Day greeting to China, omitting Xi Jinping's recent visit

Washington’s brief message omits the word ‘prosperity’ and makes no mention of Xi’s visit, offering a snapshot of shifting US-China ties

Five days after Chinese President Xi Jinping left Washington, the US State Department marked the 77th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China with a greeting short enough to fit on a calling card.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s congratulatory statement landed on Wednesday, a few hours before dawn on National Day in Beijing. It made no mention of Xi’s visit, the trade understandings reached during the trip or the meetings the two leaders have scheduled for later this year.

Washington continued its tradition of marking China’s National Day before October 1 arrived in the United States. But it pared down the message.

“On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of China on the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1,” it said.