President Trump kicked off his bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping by praising the grand welcome ceremony that featured a sea of cheering schoolchildren.

“I was particularly impressed by those children,” Trump said of the school kids jumping up and down in excitement at his arrival at the massive Great Hall of the People overlooking Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

As the two world leaders traversed the red carpet, rows of children cheerfully waved US and Chinese flags while some held vibrant bouquets of flowers.