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On Friday, the final day of his Beijing trip, US President Donald Trump met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, this time over tea and a working lunch.
Trump arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday evening and was officially welcomed by Xi on Thursday morning with a full honour guard ceremony at the Great Hall of the People.
The leaders then held two hours of formal talks before visiting the Temple of Heaven, a Ming‑era cultural site with more than 600 years of history and attending a lavish state banquet.


Reporting by Cao Jiaxuan, Alyssa Chen, Fan Chen, Teresa Frontado, Mark Magnier, Shi Jiangtao, Dewey Sim, Orange Wang and Laura Zhou


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Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at Zhongnanhai on Friday. Photo: Xinhua

US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on Friday. Photo: AP

Chinese President Xi Jinping with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of their visit to the  Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing. Photo: Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at Zhongnanhai Garden. Photo: Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at Zhongnanhai on Friday. Photo: AP

News

China

Diplomacy

US president wraps up ‘historic’ three-day visit with tea and a working lunch


US president wraps up ‘historic’ three-day visit with tea and a working lunch.


US-China relations

United States

Xi Jinping

Donald Trump

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After a first day heavy on symbolism but light on concrete deliverables, attention is turning to Friday for possible announcements from the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing.
Thursday produced few major agreements, though Beijing said it would resume issuing import permits for US beef producers and both sides signalled interest in deeper cooperation on trade, investment and artificial intelligence.
Trump also said Xi had committed to purchasing 200 Boeing aircraft, describing the proposed deal as a boost for US manufacturing. The White House has not released details of the purchase, which would mark one of the largest commercial aviation commitments between the two countries in recent years.
With talks set to continue on Friday, expectations remain high for additional announcements as Washington and Beijing seek to show progress in stabilising ties despite continuing tensions over trade, technology and security.



What to expect

One does not pick up the world’s seventh (or so) richest person on the planet at an Alaska airport without spurring informed speculation that a deal may be in the works, even if your presidential delegation is already loaded with billionaires.
Trump’s last-minute welcoming of Nvidia founder Jensen Huang onto Air Force One during a fuel stopover in Anchorage increases the likelihood that the inclusion is about more than just another wealthy face, say analysts.
“Contrary to our expectations, the announcement of Chinese purchases of a first batch of H200s appears increasingly likely, following Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s last-minute participation,” said Amanda Hsiao, Eurasia Group’s China director, in a readout on Thursday.
Hsiao and her colleagues have had a go at reading further into the CEO line-up, which includes Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon, Micron’s Sanjay Mehrotra, Blackrock’s Larry Fink, Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, Citigroup’s Jane Fraser, Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, GE Aerospace’s Larry Culp, Mastercard’s Michael Miebach and Visa’s Ryan McInerney.
The roster, as they see it, suggests the possibility of eased restrictions on foreign financial services firms, full self-driving approval for Tesla, the removal of Illumina from China’s Unreliable Entity List, limited approvals for Micron procurement and reduced antitrust challenges for others.
Daniel Remler, a CNAS technology fellow at the Centre for a New American Security, meanwhile, sees low, medium and large US chip deliverables as: a baseline of 400,000 to 500,000 advanced US chip exports to ByteDance and Alibaba; a near doubling of those semiconductor shipments to 800,000; and even an agreement to sell Beijing the crown jewels – namely semiconductor-making equipment that could help China rocket propel its own production.
If you are a CEO, it may well pay to have been on the plane.



Business trip

Hours before Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart on the third day of his visit, the US leader writes on social media that Xi “congratulated me on so many tremendous successes in such a short period of time”.
In the post, Trump lists achievements “during the 16 spectacular months” of his second term, including “military victory and thriving relationship in Venezuela” and “the military decimation of Iran (to be continued!)”.
“Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline… But now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before!”



Trump says Xi ‘congratulated me’

Trump says during an interview with Fox News aired on Thursday (US time) that “we do great with China”, adding that he and Xi “have a very good relationship”.
“We have a friendship, really. He’s a tremendous leader. He’s been here a long time, very powerful, very strong. There’s no doubt about it. And we just have a good relationship,” he says.



‘We do great with China’

Trump tells Fox News the business leaders accompanying him for the Great Hall of the People meeting “did fantastically well”.
He says the meeting with the American executives “was a good idea, but it was very different from what the schedule had”.
Trump also describes Xi as a “warm person”, saying the Chinese leader was “all business”. “I like that – that’s a good thing. No games,” he says.
He defends his approach of speaking highly about his rapport with Xi, saying he is criticised “when I say good things about certain leaders, and this one, but he’s a leader for China. He’s led almost 1.5 billion people for a long time, and he’s respected”.
And he calls the military honour guard ceremony to welcome him “incredible”.
“That military marching was incredible – but no, if you went to Hollywood, you wouldn’t find that,” he says.



Business leaders ‘did fantastically well’

Trump reiterates that they cannot “let Iran have a nuclear weapon”.
Trump tells Fox News of Iran: “they’re finished now, they can make a deal or they get annihilated”.
He once again defends the military operation against Iran, saying it is much shorter than previous US wars, such as those in Vietnam and Iraq.
Trump claims that Iran’s navy has gone and they now have no air force or anti-aircraft capabilities.
“They built it up a little bit. We’ll take it out in one day,” he says.




‘Deal or annihilation for Iran’

In the same Fox News interview, Trump also defends his border policy, saying: “We have the safest border in the world, other than North Korea.”



‘Safest border in the world’

In an interview with Bloomberg aired on Friday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says they expect to see an agreement for “double-digit billion purchases” of agricultural products annually over the next three years.
“We’re in a situation where we’re trying to rebalance our trade with China. We’ve had a lot of success in that,” Greer says.
When asked about whether the trade truce will be extended, Greer says there is “certainly a willingness” on both sides to do so.
“We are trying to manage differences rather than to escalate them,” he says.
Greer gives “a passing grade” on China’s actions on rare earths and says the issue is being “discussed at all levels”.
“We’ve certainly seen the rare earth come back up to better levels. Sometimes it’s slow,” he says. “There are times when we have to go and make our point.”
On the “Board of Trade” initiative, Greer says the administration will seek public comments after the talks in Beijing and then engage with Chinese counterparts to negotiate the framework.



Greer expects deal worth ‘double-digit billions’

Trump also tells Fox News he would like to see China open up. “It would be unbelievable for our companies if they open it, and I think it would be good for China too,” he says.
He says Xi agreed to order 200 Boeing jets during their “very good meeting”.
“Big ones,” he says. “That’s a lot.”
And he asked that Visa be used to trade in China. “We requested for a lot.”
He also says China is “going to be buying a lot of our farm product, which is great”.



Boeing order

Trump tells Fox News he urged Xi to “buy oil” from the US, to which Xi said he “likes the idea”, according to the US president.
“One thing I think that we’re going to make a deal on is they’ve agreed they want to buy oil from the United States. They’re going to go to Texas. We’re going to start sending Chinese ships to Texas, and to Louisiana, and to Alaska,” he says.
“They really need energy … They have an insatiable appetite for energy and we have unlimited energy.”
He reveals China also plans to buy gas.



Oil and gas deals

Pressed about China’s support for Iran, Trump says it was a topic that was discussed with Xi.
“He says he’s not going to give military equipment,” Trump tells Fox News.
He says he told the Chinese side during the summit that “we’re helping you” via the war against Iran.



Trump on China’s role in Iran

Trump says “President Xi would like to see a deal” between the US and Iran.
“Xi said if I could be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help,” Trump tells Fox News.
“I don’t think China wants Iran to have a nuclear weapon either.”


Trump also tells Fox News that only the US and China can remove the uranium in Iran. He says he does not think it is necessary to get the highly enriched uranium from under Iran’s mountains “except from a public relations standpoint”, though he says “we were thinking about doing it early on”.
“I think it’s important for the fake news that we get it. I’m the one that said we’re going to get it. And we’re going to get it,” he says.
Trump also says General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told him the US could wipe out Kharg Island in only “four or five minutes”.



‘Xi wants to help on Iran’: Trump

Meanwhile, US Trade Representative Greer also tells Bloomberg in an interview that any decisions on Nvidia H200 chips will be determined by China.
“They are very committed to domestic production. They often see US hi-tech is sometimes as a threat to them. Because if we are ahead of the game like we are on AI chips, sometimes they feel that can stop their own growth,” he says.
“Obviously, we think it can be helpful to them in the long run, but they’ll just have to make their decision on that.”
Greer also says chip export control is not a major topic at the Beijing talks.
On Taiwan, he says he does not expect the issue to affect the “Board of Trade” and that Xi’s rhetoric was not the sharpest he has heard.
“There’s a difference between the way we talk in a bilateral meeting and the statements that go out from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Greer says.
“I would say that the meetings here between President Trump and President Xi, they were quite candid.”

Greer also says that despite the challenges and America’s need to protect its industries and workers, the two countries “have to have a constructive relationship” – echoing Beijing’s talk of a “constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability”.
The trade representative hails the “incredible” drop in the US trade deficit with China – a decrease of 33 per cent – and says: “We have to manage and control our economic relationship with China to make sure we can achieve our domestic economic goals.”
On Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Greer tells Bloomberg that it is important for China to have the strait open.
“No tolling, no military control. That was clear from the meeting,” he says.
Greer describes China’s approach to Iran as “very pragmatic”, saying Beijing does not want to be “on the wrong side of the issue” and shares the goal of regional peace.
“They want to see peace in that area. President Trump will see peace in that area. So we have a lot of confidence that they will do what they can to limit any kind of material support for Iran.”


Chips, Taiwan, trade and Iran

Trump says he has been hearing for 40 years that the Chinese economy has been hurting but he would like to open it up.
It could bring a lot of jobs for America and end the trade deficit, he says in the interview.



Jobs for Americans

Trump says he is losing patience on Iran.
“I’m not going to be much more patient,” he tells Fox News. “They should make a deal. Any sane person would make a deal.”
Trump says Iran’s current leadership is “actually much more reasonable”.
“I think they are actually much more reasonable in many ways. Smarter than the first tier and the second tier who are no longer with us,” he says.



Trump ‘losing patience’ on Iran

In the Fox News interview, Trump also praises the summit in Beijing.
“I think it’s a very historic summit, it’s the two great countries – I call it the G2,” he says.



‘I call it the G2’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio tells NBC News following the leaders’ summit on Thursday that Washington’s Taiwan policy remains unchanged.
“US policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today and as of the meeting that we have here today. It was raised. They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position and we move on to the other topics,” he says.
Pressed if Xi asked Trump not to sell weapons to Taiwan, Rubio only says “it did not feature prominently in today’s discussion”.
“I think China’s preference is probably to have Taiwan willingly voluntarily join them. In a perfect world, what they would want is some vote or referendum in Taiwan that agrees to fold in,” he replies to a question about whether Beijing wants to attack Taiwan.

Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China and has never renounced the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.
Most countries – including the US – do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the island by force and is legally committed to providing it with arms.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung thanks the US for its support and emphasis on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and for reiterating that its Taiwan policy has not changed, his ministry says in a statement on Friday.
The statement adds that People’s Liberation Army aircraft and warships continue to operate around Taiwan carrying out “harassment and intimidation”, saying it “demonstrates that Beijing is a major risk ‌to current regional peace and stability”.


Rubio says Taiwan policy unchanged

Trump says the presence of around 500,000 Chinese students benefits US universities, warning that driving them away could damage the system.
“I could tell them I don’t want any students. It’s a very insulting thing to say to a country,” he tells Fox News. “If you want to see a university system die, take a half a million people out of it.”

However, Trump suggests he might not allow Chinese to remain in the US after completing their studies.
“If they’re good, they want to stay in America, we won’t give them a green card and things like that … not only them but other countries,” he says.
“I could tell them I don’t want any students … they would then immediately go out and start building universities all over China. It’s a very insulting thing to tell a country we don’t want you people in our schools.”
He also dismisses concerns over security risks linked to Chinese students.
“Honestly, they do things to us and we do things to them. It’s a very, very fine line,” he says.




Chinese students good for US: Trump

The White House delegation has arrived at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese central leadership compound next to Beijing’s Forbidden City where Trump and Xi are expected to have tea and lunch.


White House delegation arrives

Trump and Xi are expected to have tea at 11.30am in Zhongnanhai, the residence for the leadership of the Communist Party and the government, followed by a working lunch at the Great Hall of the People.
It will be a less formal atmosphere for the leaders to meet, and they are expected to continue discussions on tariffs, agricultural purchases, AI regulation, Taiwan, the Iran conflict and other bilateral and global issues.
When he visited during his first term as US president in 2017, Trump began the trip by having tea with Xi.
Trump and first lady Melania were hosted by Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan inside the Forbidden City, where they had tea just 40 minutes after the Trumps landed in Beijing.
The tea session included a Peking opera performance and the visitors were also given a tour of the former imperial palace, a Unesco World Heritage site.
Dinner followed – taking the programme to four hours – in a showcase of Chinese tradition and hospitality, setting a warm tone for Trump’s first China trip, which Beijing called a “state visit‑plus”.



Talks over tea

At one event during Thursday’s summit in Beijing, the US Secret Service reportedly had an argument with Chinese security, who apparently did not want one of Trump’s personal protection agents to bring a firearm in.
“More shouting. More shoving, but they figured it out,” Fox News reported.


China and US security agents argue

Trump and Xi are set to meet for tea at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leaders’ compound in Beijing – the same venue where former US president Barack Obama took a private stroll with Xi during his state visit in 2014.
Then, Xi introduced Obama to Yingtai, an imperial palace on an island within the compound. Their informal conversations – dubbed the “evening chats on Yingtai” – stretched past four hours and became one of the most symbolic exchanges in US-China diplomatic history.
During Trump’s last Beijing visit in 2017, the two leaders met for tea at Bao Yun Lou, or Hall of Embodied Treasures, a Western-style imperial building in the Forbidden City that was erected in 1915 to house artefacts from imperial residences outside the capital.
The meeting had its lighter moments: Trump showed Xi a video of his granddaughter Arabella, dressed in a qipao, singing Chinese songs and reciting classical poems in Mandarin.



Previous exchanges

The US-China trade war is entering a worrying new phase. Find out more here.


A legal arms race

The two leaders have reached new consensuses during Trump’s visit to China, the Chinese foreign ministry says in a statement on Friday.
Xi and Trump also agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on regional and global issues, the ministry says.
“The interaction between the two leaders has promoted mutual understanding, deepened mutual trust, advanced pragmatic cooperation ... and injected much-needed stability and certainty into the world.”
The ministry’s statement reinforces Beijing’s line of a constructive US-China relationship for strategic stability, and says it will provide strategic guidance for the next three years and beyond.
“[It] will promote stable, healthy and sustainable development of the US-China relationship, and bring more peace, prosperity and progress to the world,” the statement says.
The ministry has also responded to whether Xi and Trump discussed Iran during their talks.



Talks bring ‘much-needed stability’

Xi is currently holding talks with Trump and a small White House delegation at Zhongnanhai in the heart of Beijing, according to Chinese state media reports.
People on footpaths filmed on their phones as the motorcade rolled by after roads were cleared for the drive.

A small pool of journalists has been allowed inside.
A statement from the White House said Trump would be greeted by Xi before they take part in a “friendship photo”.
The media pool was first able to glimpse the US president as he entered Zhongnanhai with Xi where they talked and Trump admired the garden.
The White House press pool reports that Chinese officials moved a reporter back, saying Trump and Xi want to have a private discussion.



Xi hosts talks

During his 2017 visit, Trump also held formal talks with Xi at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on November 9 – the centrepiece of the US leader’s highly choreographed three‑day trip.
That meeting lasted about two hours, focusing on the trade imbalance and North Korea, just weeks after Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear test when regional tensions were running high.
The overall tone was warm, emphasising partnership and personal rapport, though Trump was openly critical of what he called “very one‑sided and unfair” trade ties with China while seeking Beijing’s help to rein in North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un.
Similar to Thursday’s sessions, the talks followed an elaborate official welcome that was also broadcast live on state television for the first time since the establishment of diplomatic relations.
The 2017 talks were followed by a joint appearance at a business exchange session, announcing the signing of some US$250 billion in commercial deals between US and Chinese firms, covering products such as 300 Boeing aircraft, car parts, liquefied natural gas and beef.



What happened last time?

China’s foreign ministry issues a separate statement on Iran, saying dialogue and negotiation are the right path and that “military solutions lead nowhere”.
“Now that the door to dialogue has opened, it should not be closed again,” the statement reads.
“The momentum towards de-escalation must be maintained … and solutions addressing all parties’ concerns on issues including Iran’s nuclear programme should reached through dialogue and consultation.”
The ministry also renews a call for the swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard stable and smooth global supply chains.



China calls for dialogue on Iran

Trump’s toast at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday night was a departure from his usual style – widely seen as flamboyant, highly personalised and combative.
Addressing a state banquet hosted by Xi, Trump’s 10-minute speech was warm and amicable, focusing on 250 years of shared culture and history between the United States and China.
That echoed the approach of Chinese officials and scholars in their narrative on ties between the two countries.

The “America first” leader avoided sharp language on issues such as trade. Instead, he pointed to the many Chinese restaurants in the US as a sign of the two economies being deeply interwoven.
Trump also spoke of the historical links between America and China, calling the relationship a “very special” one.
He referenced connections with China such as Samuel Shaw, the first US consul to China, founding father Benjamin Franklin, the Washington Monument and the US Supreme Court.
Trump also noted that Chinese workers helped build American railways and early American travellers to China contributed to the spread of literacy and modern medicine. He also pointed to their history as allies during World War II.
And in an apparent bid to reinforce his personal rapport with Xi, Trump noted that former US president Theodore Roosevelt had “provided the funds to establish President Xi’s alma mater, Tsinghua University”.




‘Very special’ relationship

Both Trump and Xi used carefully crafted speeches at Thursday night’s state banquet to lean into the two countries’ deep and historical ties. Find out more here.


From Confucius to Tsinghua

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi could have a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump as early as Friday, according to Nikkei.
Takaichi is expected to be briefed by Trump following his summit with Xi, the report says.

It says the two leaders are also expected to exchange views on their perceptions of China as part of broader US-Japan communications.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru tells reporters on Friday that: “We believe it is important that US-China relations contribute to the stability of the international community, including Japan, and the government is closely monitoring the situation with great interest.”
Meanwhile, Japan’s gender equality minister, Hitoshi Kikawada, attended a ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shanghai on Friday, becoming the first cabinet member to visit China since Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan sparked diplomatic friction.
However, no bilateral meetings are scheduled during the visit, according to Japanese media reports.




Trump to brief Takaichi: report

The tiger-head bag carried by Elon Musk’s young son X Æ A-Xii in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday has prompted Chinese shoppers to seek out the same product online.
The bag – made by Yaxiaoqi Handmade, a Taobao store founded by Guilin designer Liu Siwei – was priced at 338 yuan (US$70) after a 15 per cent discount during Tmall’s “520” promotion, according to Chinese media reports.
Following the appearance, the brand’s Taobao store reportedly saw a more than tenfold surge in sales.
The shop has operated for 19 years and is ranked second among “quirky bag” stores on the platform, with 379,000 followers.



Chinese snap up X Æ A-Xii’s bag

Trump praises “fantastic trade deals” made with Xi.
As Trump and Xi sit in an ornate pavilion to continue talks, the US side is joined by US officials, including Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US ambassador to China David Perdue and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
On the Chinese side officials include ambassador to the US Xie Feng, Xi’s chief of staff Cai Qi, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice-Premier He Lifeng.
“This has been an incredible visit. A lot of good has come of it,” Trump tells Xi. “We’ve made some fantastic trade deals.”

It follows a 10-minute walk through the rose garden and continued talks between the presidents. Although their discussion was private, Trump told reporters he admired the roses.
“These are the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen,” he says.
When asked if he was enjoying his visit, Trump does not answer but gives a thumbs up. Chinese minders tell the press pool, “no questions”.
The two leaders walked through a covered passageway with green columns and archways painted with birds and traditional Chinese mountain scenes towards the small square for the friendship photo.


‘Fantastic trade deals’

As the world’s attention is on Trump’s meeting with Xi in Beijing, CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Thursday made a trip to Havana for a rare meeting with Cuban officials.
Cuba said the meeting took place “in a contest marked by the complexity of bilateral relations with the aim of contributing to the political dialogue between both nations”, adding that the exchanges “demonstrate categorically that Cuba does not constitute a threat to US national security”.
The visit comes as Trump ramps up pressure on the island, calling it a “failed country” and declaring the US “will be taking over almost immediately.”
Washington has imposed fresh sanctions since January and effectively blocked Cuba’s oil imports.
Beijing has condemned the measures as unlawful and urged Washington to immediately end its blockade, sanctions and all forms of coercion against Cuba.



CIA chief in Cuba

Xi and Trump sit down for tea as China’s president introduces “the policies of Zhongnanhai and the work of the Party Central Committee and the State Council”.
“This is the place where party and the central government leaders of China work and live including myself,” Xi says.
He says that after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the leadership moved here, including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao.



Tea ceremony

Trump tells Xi: “I believe we did discuss Iran. We feel very similar, right? We want that to end. We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon. We want the strait open. We’re closing it now, they closed it, then we close it ... but we want the strait open.”
He says both Beijing and Washington want to see an end to the Iran war and “we don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon”.



‘We want the strait open’

Of his China trip, Trump says: “It’s an honour to be here. We’ll be back.”
Trump again extends the invitation for Xi to visit the US on September 24 “or thereabouts”, saying “we will be reciprocal like reciprocal trade”.



‘It’s an honour to be here’

Calling their relationship “a very strong one”, Trump says he and Xi have solved a lot of problems that other people would not have been able to solve.
Xi describes Trump’s trip as “a historic and landmark” visit, highlighting the new “constructive strategic relationship” they agreed to.
He says “it can be considered a milestone visit”.
The Chinese president also says they have reached many cooperation agreements and consensus on international issues.
Xi tells Trump he chose Zhongnanhai for the meeting to reciprocate the hospitality extended to him in 2017 at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Trump asks Xi if other world leaders often visit Zhongnanhai.
“Very rarely,” Xi replies, saying it has not historically been used for diplomatic activities but noting that “for example, Putin” has come.
Trump replies: “Great.”



Xi calls visit a ‘milestone’

As Xi and Trump take a slow stroll through the grounds at Zhongnanhai, Xi explains that the garden “is called Jing Gu, meaning quiet valley”.
After Trump shows interest in the garden, Xi says he will send rose seeds to Trump.
“These are the most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen,” Trump says. “I asked the president, could you get me some for the rose garden, and he said yes. I’ve never seen roses so big.”
Xi then says he will send rose seeds to Trump.
“I love that. That’s great,” Trump says.
Xi and Trump share some light-hearted exchanges as the Chinese leader shows his American counterpart ancient trees – some a few hundreds of years old – in the Zhongnanhai compound.
“They live that long?” Trump asks, as Xi smiles and points out that some trees in the compound are over a thousand years old.
“Nice place. I like it,” Trump says, as the pair continue their stroll. “I could get used to this.”



Xi offers rose seeds

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Less pomp

At Zhongnanhai, Trump says he and Xi also discussed a lot of other matters apart from Iran.
“I think we’re very much on agreement. We’re gonna have some further discussions now with the group,” he says.


Further discussion to come

Trump, Xi and their delegations have started lunch, according to White House pool reporters.


Parties sit down to lunch

US President Donald Trump has hailed “fantastic” China trade deals, signalling Boeing and oil sales. Find out more here.


‘Incredible visit’

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Meet Zhou Qunfei

The menu for Trump and Xi’s lunch has been made public, according to the White House pool.
The presidents are dining on:

Minced codfish in seafood soup


Crispy and stir-fried lobster balls


Pan-seared beef fillet stuffed with morel mushrooms


Kung Pao chicken and scallops


Braised seasonal greens, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and beans


Stewed beef in a bun


Steamed pork and shrimp dumplings


Chocolate brownies


Fruit and ice cream


Coffee and tea



Kung Pao chicken and lobster balls

Click here for the latest takeaways from the Xi-Trump talks.


‘We’ll be back’

The red carpet is being rolled out in front of Air Force One, in preparation for Trump’s departure.
The US president is set to leave Beijing this afternoon, capping his three-day visit to China.


Chinese students dressed in blue-and-white uniforms stand alongside a military honour guard and band, ready to send off Trump.
When Air Force One arrived in Beijing late on Wednesday, students gave him a warm welcome.




Air Force One prepares

Taiwan’s defence ministry says no PLA warplanes have been detected around the island in the last 24 hours from Thursday morning – a sudden pause amid the US president’s state visit to Beijing.


No PLA warplanes near Taiwan

Trump’s high-stakes visit is potentially delivering an unexpected outcome for Beijing, as it helps promote mainland China’s English phrasing of “the Taiwan question” in international coverage.
For at least two decades, Beijing has advocated that the English translation of the situation concerning Taiwan should be “the Taiwan question” rather than “the Taiwan issue”.
However, the formulation has rarely gained traction among US politicians or mainstream American media, despite its consistent use in state-run English-language outlets in the mainland China.
When covering Xi and Trump’s discussions on Taiwan during their summit, international press cites and broadcasts the language from Beijing’s readout that Xi stressed “the Taiwan question” is the most important issue in China-US relations, pushing the phrase into headlines across the world.
“The Taiwan question is China’s internal affair, not a disputed international issue. This point is clear, non-negotiable and not subject to significant dispute, therefore the word ‘issue’ should not be used,” the state-run People’s Daily said in an article in November.



Is Taiwan an issue or question?

Zhongnanhai, located in the heart of Beijing beside the Forbidden City, is the workplace of China’s top leadership and the country’s administrative nerve centre.
There has long been an air of secrecy around the compound and the visit by Trump offered a rare glimpse of its former imperial garden.
That included Jing Gu – meaning “quiet valley” – an area referred to as “a garden within a garden”.
It features ancient trees, ornamental rocks, pavilions and corridors, all arranged around water and greenery.
As the two leaders took a stroll, Xi pointed out the “linked cypresses” – two centuries-old trees with intertwined trunks and roots that are regarded as one of Jing Gu’s most distinctive sights.
They also walked through a traditional archway bearing a couplet written by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty.
The inscription reads: “Moonlit ground and cloud-like steps open a tranquil realm beyond the splendid forest; screen-like hills and mirror-like waters invite visitors to trace hidden paths along fragrant trails.”
Xi told Trump that the garden embodies both “life” and “history”.



Secret garden

As Donald Trump gears up to leave on Air Force One, here is a look at the popularity of the presidential symbol among Beijing residents and Chinese people.



‘A flying White House’

Xi calls Trump’s visit “historic and landmark”, according to an official Xinhua readout of their meeting at Zhongnanhai.
“This visit has helped promote mutual understanding, deepen trust and enhance the well-being of our two peoples,” Xi is quoted as saying.
“President Trump wants to make America great again, and I am committed to leading the Chinese people in realising the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The two sides can promote our respective development and revitalisation through enhanced cooperation.”
Xi says Trump’s visit reaffirmed the constructive, strategic and stable ties agreed upon as a new positioning for bilateral relations.


‘Historic and landmark’

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has been spotted eating the popular Beijing dish zhajiangmian – or noodles with fried bean – in an area near Zhongnanhai on Friday.
Sitting outside in his trademark black leather jacket, Huang’s appearance caused a buzz among tourists and locals.
The Taiwan-born billionaire was not on an initial list of executives for the trip. He told CNBC on Thursday that Trump had asked him to go at the last minute.
Huang also tried douzhi, a traditional fermented drink that is similar to soy milk but with a sour smell.
“What’s this?” Huang said as he took a sip and grimaced.

Huang is also seen drinking douzhi, a traditional fermented soybean drink popular in Beijing that is known for its sour taste, as well as a drink from Mixue, a popular Chinese beverage chain that also operates stores in the US.


Noodles with Jensen Huang

According to Xinhua, Trump touts the visit as a “very successful” one, with both sides reaching a number of agreements and resolving many problems.
He calls Xi his “old friend” and says they have “established a good relationship”.
“The US-China relationship is very important, and it will definitely get better and better,” he adds.
Trump says he looks forward to continuing candid and in-depth communication with Xi and to hosting him in Washington, according to Xinhua.
It says the two sides also exchanged views on a number of regional hotspot issues.



US-China ties ‘will definitely get better’

The US presidential motorcade is moving from Zhongnanhai at 1.54pm.


Motorcade on the move to airport

Secretary of State Rubio dismisses claims he was sending any signs in sporting the same Nike suit worn by Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, saying it was just a “comfortable suit”.
“There’s no context. It’s a nice suit. I mean, I like it. It’s comfortable,” Rubio tells NBC in an interview on Thursday.

White House communications director Steven Cheung, who is part of Trump’s travelling entourage, released the photo of Rubio wearing the suit on Air Force One en route to Beijing on Wednesday.
The Nike Tech tracksuit went viral online in January after images circulated of Maduro wearing it while in US custody after being abducted in a US military raid.
“He [Maduro] copied me because I had it before, I mean I don’t know when he bought his. I don’t even know that was his,” Rubio said, adding he was not aware he was being photographed.




Rubio defends Maduro-like suit

Trump steps out of “The Beast” presidential limousine and walks towards Air Force One after his motorcade arrives at the airport in Beijing.
Trump shares a final hand shake with Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to the US, and other Beijing officials, including diplomat Ma Zhaoxu.

Trump speaks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, at one point putting both hands on Wang’s shoulders. He also shakes hands with US ambassador David Perdue before boarding Air Force One.
As he walks along the red carpet to the stairs, the military band starts playing and students wave American and Chinese flags. Trump waves back to the students who shout, “Goodbye, goodbye! A warm goodbye!”
Trump gives a fist pump and waves goodbye before heading into the aircraft’s cabin.


Trump boards Air Force One

A White House correspondent for the New York Post says on social media that US staff “took everything Chinese officials handed – credentials, burner phones from WH staff, pins for delegation – collected them before we got on AF1 and threw them in a bin at bottom at stairs”.
“Nothing from China allowed on the plane.”

Another White House pool journalist, Danny Kemp of AFP, writes that before leaving Beijing, “WH staff asked us to hand over the little red lapel badges pool had been given to identify us, saying the Chinese wanted them back”.
“US staff took all badges and pins issued by China from reporters. They then put them (and staff burner phones) in a bin.”




‘No China giveaways on Air Force One’

The Xi-Trump summit has signalled that the competition and differences between China and the US are recognised but managed – and cooperation remains firmly in the frame, according to James Laurenceson, director of University of Technology Sydney’s Australia-China Relations Institute.
“The leaders’ comments ticked off on core national interests, such as Beijing’s position on Taiwan, but remained overwhelmingly positive and upbeat,” he writes in a note published on Friday.
“That the US is now approaching the PRC with greater realism – in essence, accepting that it is a peer power, not one that can be bullied or coerced – also bodes well for stability going forward.”



Summit seen as positive

The South Korean presidential office tells a press briefing that Seoul welcomes the development of US-China relations and hopes the summit will boost its ties with both powers, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.


Seoul hopes for a boost

“Constructive strategic stability” is the new shorthand for a period of detente as both China and the US appear eager, at least for now, to prevent a hot war, according to Wanning Sun, deputy director of University of Technology Sydney’s Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI).
“At the same time, the summit signals that, at least under Trump’s leadership, the US may be willing to soften aspects of its cold war posture,” she writes in a note published on Friday.
She expects a period of “cold peace” to emerge. “Alongside Beijing’s long-standing mantra of ‘peaceful coexistence’, this possibility is reflected in the very fact that the Trump-Xi summit took place at all.
“As both a US ally and a partner of the PRC, Australia must decide whether to recalibrate its own positions and strategies accordingly, particularly regarding its commitment to AUKUS, or continue with business as usual.”



Era of ‘cold peace’

Xi and Trump aren’t the only world leaders meeting this month in Asia.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are expected to hold a meeting next week in Lee’s hometown of Andong, according to Seoul’s presidential Blue House on Friday.
It will be the leaders’ third meeting, following their discussions at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju in October last year and Lee’s visit to Nara, Takaichi’s hometown, in January this year.

Blue House chief spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung says in a written statement that Lee and Takaichi will discuss bilateral relations as well as the situation in the Middle East.
North Korean nuclear and missile issues, as well as the situation in northeast Asia and the outcomes of the Xi-Trump summit, are expected to feature on the agenda.


South Korea-Japan summit

Among US government officials present at the bilateral talks on Thursday morning was Trump’s top science adviser, Michael Kratsios, sitting at the edge of the negotiation table.
As director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Kratsios’ work focuses on ensuring Americans lead in critical and emerging technologies, such as AI, quantum computing and biotechnology.

He graduated from Princeton University in 2008 with a degree in politics. In 2010, he served as a visiting scholar at the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where he instructed a principles of economics course.
During his nomination process, Kratsios identified China as “our pre-eminent geopolitical rival and our most formidable technological and scientific competitor”.
Last month, he said Chinese AI entities were among foreign actors that launch “surreptitious, unauthorised distillation campaigns” to release models that appear to match leading systems on select benchmarks at a fraction of the cost.




Who is Trump’s top science official?

China and the US are maintaining communication to arrange interactions between Trump and Xi within this year, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun tells a press conference on Friday.



Arranging further meetings

Fox News anchor Bret Baier, who travelled with Trump to China, has gone viral on Chinese social media.
A video of him playing table tennis with an elderly Chinese man in a Beijing park has been widely shared online.

On Wednesday, Baier discussed Beijing’s extensive surveillance camera network and revealed that his crew was fined for allegedly parking illegally for two minutes.
That clip also went viral on Chinese social media.


Fox News anchor trending

Asked whether China has agreed to buy US oil in the future, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun gives a broad answer.
“China is willing to work with all parties to jointly safeguard global energy security and the stability of industrial and supply chains,” he says.
“The urgent priority is to promote the restoration of peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region.”




China buying US oil?

Asked whether China and the US have reached any agreements in agriculture, Guo Jiakun says the two sides reached important consensus on maintaining stable economic and trade relations, expanding practical cooperation across various fields, and addressing mutual differences.
On Trump’s statement that China agrees to order 200 Boeing aircraft, foreign ministry spokesman Guo says the essence of China-US economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
“Both sides should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders and inject greater stability into bilateral economic ties and the global economy.”
He says both sides should follow the principles of equality, respect and mutual benefit, continuously “extend the list of areas of cooperation, and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes”.



Agriculture and aircraft

Asked about Trump’s statement that China seeks to keep Strait of Hormuz open, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun gives a broad response, saying Beijing’s position on the situation in Iran is “very clear”.
Guo says the conflict has already caused serious losses to people across the region.


“Its spillover effects continued to expand, severely impacting the global economy, supply chain stability, international trade order and global energy supplies, and harming the common interests of the international community.”
Similarly, Guo says Beijing has been consistent on the issue of rare earths, although did not reveal whether there had been developments in light of Trump’s visit.
Asked whether China and the US have reached any new understanding on rare earth supplies, Guo says only that “Beijing had consistently been committed to maintaining the stability and security of global industrial and supply chains”.



China ‘very clear’ on Iran

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his six-year-old son X Æ A-Xii went viral on Chinese social media after he replied to a Chinese-language tweet saying his son is learning Mandarin.
The hashtag trended on Weibo on Thursday night, with several media outlets covering the story.

But by Friday, the hashtag was censored and made inaccessible, with some Chinese media reports deleted.
The censorship is believed to stem from the fact that Musk was replying to a post from “Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher”, a prominent and prolific Chinese dissident who extensively shares information that is censored in China.


Musk meets ‘Great Firewall’

When Cargill CEO Brian Sikes joined other American business leaders in accompanying Trump to Beijing and meeting with Xi on Thursday, another senior executive from the agribusiness giant separately met a prominent Chinese agricultural expert.
Rishi Varma, Cargill’s executive vice-president, met Cheng Guoqiang, director of the National Food Security Strategy Research Institute at Renmin University, according to a statement released by the institution on Thursday.
Cheng previously served as a trade negotiator and took part in China’s negotiations on accession to the World Trade Organization as head of the Chinese agricultural negotiation team.

“China and the US have strong complementarities in global agricultural trade,” Cheng is quoted by Renmin University as saying.
“Against the backdrop of new developments in the global food market, strengthening dialogue and cooperation in agriculture between China and the US is of great importance for maintaining the stability of global food supply chains.”
Varma says Cargill places importance on the Chinese market and that the visit aims to deepen understanding of China’s agricultural and food security policy developments and further strengthen communication and cooperation with Chinese partners in the sector.


Agribusiness networking

What is the “real test” for China and the US now? Find out here


‘Aspirational’

Asked how China plans to cooperate with the US on AI in the future, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Friday says, “China has always advocated that all parties jointly promote the development of artificial intelligence in an open, inclusive, beneficial and good-for-all direction.”




‘Good-for-all’ AI cooperation

Asked about Trump’s Friday morning Truth Social post and how China views the US currently, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun says “while President Trump hopes to make America great again and has led the American people in achieving significant development progress, President Xi leads the Chinese people in working towards the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”.
That echoes Xi’s remarks made during his meeting with Trump at Zhongnanhai in Beijing on Friday.

Guo adds that China and the US can “promote each other’s respective development and revitalisation” through strengthened cooperation.
In the post in question, Trump wrote: “When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration.”


Mutual ‘revitalisation’?

In his first social media post after wrapping up the visit to Beijing, Trump announces the site of his planned “National Garden of American Heroes”, a public monument park featuring statues of prominent American figures for the country’s 250th anniversary.
President Trump posted while flying home from Beijing.
“I am proud to announce the site of the NATIONAL GARDEN OF AMERICAN HEROES. This magnificent exhibition of statues will be located in West Potomac Park, which we are transforming into one of the World’s most beautiful public spaces,” he says on Truth Social.
“Right now, it is a totally BARREN field of Prime Waterfront Real Estate along our Mighty Potomac River. When finished, West Potomac Park will be a World Class Masterpiece with elegant Landscaping, and adorned with Beautiful Statues, and be yet another one of my great projects to make Washington, D.C., the Safest and Most Beautiful Capital in the World.
“The National Garden of American Heroes will feature the MOST BEAUTIFUL collection of statues of AMERICAN HEROES, featuring our Illustrious Founding Fathers, Military Warriors, Religious Leaders, Civil Rights Champions, World Class Athletes, Artists, Entertainers, and MORE. The people of America (and the World!) will come here to learn and be inspired by the “Greats”.
“The National Garden of American Heroes is one more project we are undertaking to honor the 250th Birthday of the Greatest Nation on Earth, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”


Trump announcement on way home

As Xi hosted Trump and the American delegation on Thursday and the world watched events unfold in Beijing, interest grew in the Temple of Heaven Unesco World Heritage site, a centuries-old imperial complex associated with ritual, cosmic order and political authority.
See the features of the Temple of Heaven and its place in Chinese diplomatic history.








Temple of Heaven explained

Trump posted screengrabs to Truth Social, referring to a CNN report titled “9.99 out of 10: Visit got US and China back on track, China academic says”.


Trump cites ‘9.99’ score for trip

How do Trump’s teams compare between his visit to China in 2017 and his visit this week?






Comparing Trump’s trips

During his visit to China, Russian President ⁠Vladimir ⁠Putin will have an opportunity to exchange views with the Chinese side on contacts between Beijing and Washington, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry ‌Peskov says on Friday, according to Tass news agency.
‌Peskov says the Kremlin is closely monitoring media information regarding Trump’s visit to China.
Preparations for Putin’s visit to China next week have been completed, he adds, with an official announcement made soon in coordination with Beijing.



Putin’s China visit

Xi and Trump concluded their talks today, and here’s how the two sides engaged following an elaborate welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday.






How China-US engaged on day 1

Trump takes to social media to offer justification for the White House ballroom expansion that has stirred controversy in the US, referring to his trip to Beijing.
“China has a Ballroom, and so should the U.S.A.! It’s under construction, ahead of schedule, and will be the finest facility of its kind anywhere in the U.S.A.,” the US leader posts on Friday.

“Thank you for all the support I have been given in getting this project going. Scheduled opening will be around September of 2028. The man I am walking with is President Xi, of China, one of the World’s Great Leaders! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
During his trip to China, Trump announced that he was inviting Xi and first lady Peng Liyuan for a September 24 visit to Washington.


Trump touts ballroom

During an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier that aired on Friday, Trump says America’s policy on Taiwan remains unchanged.
Asked whether the people of Taiwan should feel more or less secure after his meetings with Xi, Trump replies, “neutral”.
“Nothing changed. I will say this,” Trump adds.
The US president’s summit with Xi appears to have done little to address differences over Taiwan – long regarded by Beijing as the most sensitive issue in US-China ties.
The White House read-out of Thursday’s meeting made no mention of Taiwan, while Xi gave a clear warning against potential “clashes and even conflicts” if the issue was mismanaged.

The omission from Washington’s account contrasted with Beijing’s blunt emphasis, underscoring the fragility of the matter.
According to Beijing’s read-out, Xi described Taiwan as “the most important issue” in bilateral relations.
“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Xi told Trump on Thursday, adding that “the US side must exercise extra caution in handling the Taiwan question”.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunited by force if necessary. The US and most other countries do not recognise the self-ruled island as an independent state, but Washington has continued to supply the island with weapons.
Taiwan watched the Xi-Trump summit with unease.
In response to the talks held on Thursday, Taiwanese Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee said Beijing’s military threats were the “only source of instability” in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo‑Pacific region.


No change on Taiwan

Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s largest opposition party, reiterated her opposition to Taiwanese independence in a YouTube programme that aired on Friday afternoon and discussed the Xi-Trump summit.
“If war or military conflict breaks out across the Taiwan Strait, the most dangerous factor is pro-independence forces,” Cheng said on the programme.

According to Cheng, the international community is keenly watching whether Washington will shift from “not supporting Taiwan independence” to a more clearly articulated “opposition to Taiwan independence”.
“If the US clarifies its position on Taiwan independence by removing ambiguity and drawing clearer red lines, this could actually help build a more stable and peaceful US-China relationship,” she added.
Cheng made a high-profile visit to mainland China in early April and held talks with Xi. She is expected to travel to the US in June.


Taiwan’s main opposition leader

Will China and the US avoid a Thucydides Trap? Political scientist Graham Allison weighs in.


Xi-Trump summit live: Trump talks about Taiwan, espionage, trade deals and future meetings

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}US president wraps up ‘historic’ three-day visit with tea and a working lunch

US president wraps up ‘historic’ three-day visit with tea and a working lunch