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Or sign-in if you have an account.China's President Xi Jinping (R) gestures as he meets with U.S. President Donald Trump (L) during a visit to Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing on May 15, 2026. Photo by EVAN VUCCI /POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesU.S. President Donald Trump began his much-vaunted official state visit to China this week for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe visit is the first by an American president since Trump himself visited during his first term in 2017 and the intention is to ease trade issues between the global superpowers.Here are some moments you might have missed.Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAmid bugging fears, Trump and team reportedly threw burner phones in the trash before returning from China.“American staff took everything Chinese officials handed out – 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,” posted Emily Goodin, White House correspondent with New York Post, on X early Friday. “Nothing from China allowed on the plane. We’re taking off shortly for America.”Although the White House hasn’t officially confirmed the report, the precaution appears not out of the ordinary.American staff took everything Chinese officials handed out - 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. We’re taking off shortly for…— Emily Goodin (@Emilylgoodin) May 15, 2026Earlier this year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and staff used burner phones during their visit to China in January. The burner phones “were promptly returned as soon as the delegation’s plane left Chinese airspace,” Christopher Nardi reported for National Post. Additionally, “before entering Chinese airspace, all political staff were required to power down their usual work and personal devices and stash them in a faraday bag.”On the trip back to the U.S. Trump was asked if he talked to Xi about the reported cyberattacks China has aimed at the U.S. “I did. And he talked about attacks we did in China,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “You know, what they do, we do too. We spy like hell on them too.”Trump toured the imperial garden in Beijing and was taken aback by the beautiful roses. “I’ve never seen roses so big!” the U.S. president said during his visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden on the last day of the trip.“These are the most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen!” Trump said and asked if he could get some for seeds for the White House Rose Garden, to which Xi replied yes and added, with the help of a translator, that he will send some seeds over.Only a few people have reportedly visited the secret garden.During the exclusive tour, one moment between the two leaders appeared to come across as Xi taunting Trump when X brought up that Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously visited the compound, New York Post and The Telegraph report.“Can I ask the president.. does he bring them here?” Trump asked.“Very few,” Xi replied. “We usually don’t hold diplomatic events here.“Even after we started having some, it’s still extremely rare. For example: Putin.”Ever since his first term in office, Trump, when first greeting world leaders and heads of state and government, has a documented history of an aggressive handshake that starts with him pulling the other person’s arm toward him.Canadians will remember many when he tried it with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who held firm against the shake and yank.It appears Trump employed the tactic when he greeted Xi on the steps of the Great Hall of the People on Thursday morning.In clips shared on X, the sound of music crescendos and stops as the leaders grasp hands and engage in a small tug-of-war. They exchange a few indiscernible words and continue holding hands for 13 seconds, with Trump patting the back of Xi’s held hand twice, before turning to pose for photos.Before the visit, Trump said on social media that he expected “a big, fat, hug” from Xi, per The Associated Press.When Air Force One land at Beijing Capital International Airport around 8 p.m., Xi wasn’t standing on the red carpet to welcome Trump and his entourage — family members, several members of his administration and 17 tech CEOs, including Tesla and SpaceX’s Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.Instead, it was Vice-President Han Zheng and other officials. Zheng, the eighth-ranked member of China’s government, attended Trump’s inauguration last year on behalf of Xi, as reported by CNN.Flanking him were a military honour guard and a few hundred adolescents waving American and Chinese flags and chanting “Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome” in Chinese over the music.While many pro-Trump voices online were quick to label it a sign of disrespect, it was consistent with protocol that China’s head of state does not welcome visiting foreign heads of state. Xi also wasn’t there to greet Trump on touchdown in 2017, nor has he greeted allies such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin or North Korea’s Kim Jong Un on arrival in China.Experts cited by the New York Times reported that said Zheng was a slight downgrade from 2017, when he was welcomed by Yang Jiechi, a top diplomat and high-ranking member of the highest executive and policy-making body within the country’s ruling Communist Party.“It’s an example of how, throughout this summit, China is hoping to trade symbolism for substance — using protocol and Trump’s preference for pageantry to hold off a return to economic escalation and buy time for China,” said Julian Gewirtz, a China historian at Columbia University.As reported by AFP, it’s not uncommon for Xi to reference ancient Chinese classical maxims or poems in his speeches. But on Thursday, he turned to ancient Greece.“Whether China and the United States can transcend the so-called Thucydides Trap and forge a new paradigm for engagement between major powers, whether we can work together to address global challenges and bring greater stability to the world, whether we can jointly create a brighter future for bilateral relations — these are questions of history, questions of the world, and questions of the people,” he said, per ABC.Based on the Athenian historian’s observations of the Peloponnesian War, the term was coined and popularized by Harvard political scientist Graham Allison for this theory on how rising tensions between two powers — one ruling, the other rising — will eventually lead to war. Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI /AFP via Getty ImagesTrump has often been critical of China during his political career and existing trade tensions between the nations were further complicated by Trump’s sweeping tariffs.Last February, he wrote on Truth Social that anyone opposed to his use of tariffs must be “controlled by China.”Last fall, he imposed an additional 100 per cent tariff on Chinese imports in retaliation for the country’s new rare earth export controls. A deal was later worked out for lower rates.When Prime Minister Mark Carney travelled to Beijing in January, where he struck a new trade deal with Xi, Trump said on Truth Social that “China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it” and threatened a further 100 per cent retaliatory tariff on Canada.And while Trump has generally been flattering of Xi in social media posts, venerating his intelligence and leadership, he’s also criticized him at times.When Xi welcomed Putin and Kim to Beijing for a military parade last year, Trump offered his “warmest regards” to the leaders as they “conspire against The United States of America.”( @realDonaldTrump - Truth Social Post )( Donald J. Trump - Sep 02, 2025, 9:15 PM ET )The big question to be answered is whether or not President Xi of China will mention the massive amount of support and “blood” that The United States of America gave to China in order to… pic.twitter.com/RzPHYH8IJt— Fan Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) September 3, 2025Thursday in Beijing, he struck a more cordial tone and lauded Xi.“You’re a great leader,” he said during bilateral talks on Thursday, according to The Guardian. “Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true. I only say the truth … It’s an honour to be your friend.”In his address, Xi said China and the U.S. “should be partners, not rivals,” but never mentioned a friendship specifically, NBC reported.Social media users in China made the most of Trump’s visit by sharing AI-generated memes.One popular joke was that the president scheduled his visit to align with “Crazy Thursday” in China, a weekly price discount promotional event by KFC China. One AI image shows Trump serving behind the counter while another features him, Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Huang eating at KFC.Another AI-generated video depicts Xi, Trump, Musk and Cook drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and eating food at what Trump describes as the “best night market.”While not directly involving Trump or Xi, a tense moment between security and journalists was caught by a camera’s hot microphone, multiple outlets are reporting, including AFP.In a clip being shared widely on X, there seems to be some jostling for position as Trump is briefly seen walking away.As the camera moves around, at one point a man not shown is heard saying “no, no” to which another responds, “Get the f— out of the way.”Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. 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