Politics is fast. We're faster. Sign up to the DC Insider newsletter for a front-row seat to Washington... and unlock 3 FREE months of DailyMail+ HERE By PHILLIP NIETO, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 14:11 BST, 15 May 2026 | Updated: 17:50 BST, 15 May 2026
Before Donald Trump departed China, Xi Jinping charmed him one last time, walking him through the walled-off imperial garden of his opulent palace. The two leaders toured Zhongnanhai, the guarded complex where China's top leaders live and work. Cameras captured Xi guiding Trump by the hand through an archway to a grove of 300-year-old trees.As Xi explained how some of the trees had merged together, Trump stopped the tour with a blunt question.'Can you ask the President: when other presidents or prime ministers from other countries visit, does he bring them here?' Trump said, turning to his translator.'Very rarely,' Xi replied with a chuckle. 'For example, Putin has been here.'At the end of the tour, Trump paused in front of cameras to say how much he appreciated the Chinese leader's fortified compound: 'I could get used to this.' The viral moment was one of the few unscripted interactions between Xi and Trump at the high-stakes summit. Hours later, before boarding Air Force One, Trump's team dumped gifts and items collected during the trip, a standard precaution against listening devices and other intelligence threats. As Xi explained how some of the trees had merged together, Trump stopped the tour with a blunt question President Donald Trump walks with China's President Xi Jinping at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound, Friday 'Can you ask the President: when other presidents or prime ministers from other countries visit, does he bring them here?' Trump said, turning to his translator Trump's team dumped the Chinese gifts and items collected during the trip, a standard precaution against listening devices and other intelligence threatsAfter sitting down for afternoon tea, Xi spoke through a translator and explained why he had invited Trump to Zhongnanhai, a rare invite to outside leaders.'I have chosen this place especially to reciprocate the hospitality extended to me in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago,' Xi said.Trump smiled and thanked the Chinese leader for the rare invitation.Trump has faced criticism throughout the summit for showering personal praise on Xi, the authoritarian leader of America's most formidable rival.In his opening remarks at the Great Hall of the People, Trump called Xi a 'great leader' and said it was an honor to be his friend. The President went on to predict that the US-China relationship would be 'better than ever before.'In a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Trump also complimented Xi's physical appearance by calling him 'very tall' and claiming Hollywood couldn't have cast a better-looking leader of China. The high-stakes summit gave the two leaders a chance to confront the most consequential issues between their countries: the rise of AI, China's designs on Taiwan, and the war in Iran. Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping tour Zhongnanhai Garden on May 15, 2026 in Beijing Trump (R) gestures as he poses for photos with China's President Xi Jinping during a visit to Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing Trump (R) shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping as he leaves after a visit to Zhongnanhai Garden Trump speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping while leaving after a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, ChinaChina is one of Iran's closest allies and the largest buyer of Iranian oil. Xi had previously condemned Trump's naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint that carries one-fifth of the world's oil.Near the end of the summit, Trump said Xi had vowed not to supply military equipment to Iran as ceasefire efforts remained stalled, but he wouldn't say whether China had agreed to help broker an end to the conflict.'He said he's not going to give military equipment, that's a big statement,' Trump told Hannity on Thursday. 'He said that strongly.'Xi struck a sharper tone on Taiwan, warning Trump that the two countries will have 'clashes and even conflicts' if the issue is mishandled. He called the island the most important matter between Washington and Beijing and claimed that it could jeopardize the entire relationship.
