President Donald Trump departed Beijing, China, with two gifts: a promise of rose seeds from Chinese President Xi Jinping and an additional argument for the construction of his White House ballroom project.Trump wrapped his whirlwind, two-day bilateral summit with a stop at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese government’s central leadership compound located next to the Forbidden City for a garden walk, tea service, and lunch with Xi.While strolling through Zhongnanhai grounds, the traveling press pool reported that the president was particularly captivated by the pink, yellow, and red Rosa Chinensis.
TRUMP AND XI GO BIG ON THE POMP BUT LIGHT ON THE SUBSTANCE
“These are the most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen,” Trump later told the press. “I asked [Xi,] ‘Could you get me some for the rose garden, and he said yes. I’ve never seen roses so big!”
Xi, through a translator, responded in kind that he would “provide the president with some of our Chinese rose seeds, as he wants to plant some in the rose garden.”
Last year, Trump’s first major White House renovation was the “Rose Garden Club,” which replaced the original White House Rose Garden installed by former first lady Ellen Wilson in 1913 and later updated by former President John F. Kennedy in 1962. First Lady Melania Trump additionally altered the design in 2020 before Trump replaced the lawn with a hardscape patio and outdoor dining tables last year. The president routinely hosts events for administration, staff, and White House visitors, though rose bushes still line the space’s perimeter.
