U.S. President Donald Trump departed Beijing on Friday after two days of tightly choreographed diplomacy with Chinese President Xi Jinping, closing a summit that projected cooperation on managing U.S.-China tensions while exposing deep rifts over Taiwan, trade policy and the war involving Iran.
The final act of the visit unfolded inside Zhongnanhai, the guarded compound at the heart of China’s political power, where Trump and Xi held a working tea and private lunch after walking through manicured gardens lined with centuries-old trees.
Chinese officials framed the setting as symbolic of continuity and stability, while the U.S. side emphasized the possibility of practical deals emerging from the talks.
Across Thursday and Friday, the two leaders spent hours together in multiple formats, including a formal meeting at the Great Hall of the People, a state banquet, a tour of the Temple of Heaven and the final closed-door session at Zhongnanhai.
The carefully staged itinerary reflected an effort to project warmth, even as negotiators grappled with disputes that have defined the relationship for years.
