President Trump presented Chinese leader Xi Jinping with a bald eagle statue during a White House state dinner on Thursday, continuing a pattern of using eagle figurines as diplomatic gifts in his second term. The bald eagle, a national symbol of the United States, was described by Mr. Trump as an embodiment of the free and soaring spirit of America. In return, Mr. Xi gifted the United States two living pandas.

Mr. Xi is the latest world leader to receive such a present, following similar gestures to leaders in Poland and Scotland. Last year, Mr. Trump sent a bald eagle statue to Polish President Karol Nawrocki, and during a visit to Scotland, he gave First Minister John Swinney a bald eagle figurine in exchange for personal family documents.

The tradition of gifting eagle statues extends beyond Mr. Trump. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford also presented eagle sculptures to foreign leaders, including Reagan's 1984 gift of a crystal bald eagle to Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, now housed at the National Museum of China in Beijing. The State Department's Gift Office helps select diplomatic presents, balancing symbolism with American craftsmanship.