Trump China Visit Highlights: Trump boards Air Force One, leaves Beijing after high-stakes Xi summit

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US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had offered China’s help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz and assured him that Beijing would not provide military equipment to Iran amid the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel.

Speaking after his summit with Xi in Beijing, Trump said the Chinese leader wanted the strategically crucial waterway to remain open and had expressed willingness to assist in easing tensions. Trump also said Xi had “strongly” conveyed that China would not send military aid to Iran.

Despite the high-profile summit in Beijing, the current round of talks is only the beginning of a broader diplomatic calendar between the two leaders. Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet at two international summits later this year, followed by a possible state visit by Xi to Washington in September.

Trump also signalled progress on efforts to persuade China to open up more sectors of its economy to American businesses. Al Jazeera reported that the presence of several major US companies on the Beijing trip reflected Washington’s broader push for expanded market access.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump is expected to view the visit as a success, particularly on trade. The US President claimed Boeing could secure a deal to sell 200 aircraft to China, while Washington also expects a sharp rise in agricultural exports to the Chinese market over the next three years.

Reports during Donald Trump’s Beijing visit suggested Washington and Beijing were exploring the creation of a “Board of Trade” to oversee commercial relations between the two countries. However, no formal announcement on such a mechanism has been made so far.

Donald Trump received a grand farewell at the airport as he departed China after his state visit. Schoolchildren, dressed in colors matching Air Force One, waved American and Chinese flags and chanted farewell slogans. Wang Yi was present to see him off. Trump waved and raised his fist before boarding the aircraft for his return journey.

-AP

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump joked while taking a stroll with Xi, saying, “I could get used to this place,” while walking with Chinese President Xi Jinping through Beijing’s Zhongnanhai garden during their high-stakes summit.

US President Donald Trump boarded Air Force One on Friday, concluding his visit to China after high-level summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Trump was given an elaborate farewell ceremony before departure, with a red carpet lined by people waving American and Chinese flags as a military band performed at the airport.

The visit included closed-door meetings at the highly restricted Zhongnanhai compound and discussions on trade, artificial intelligence and broader US-China relations.

China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday described US President Donald Trump’s state visit to Beijing as a “landmark” moment in ties between the two countries, saying the summit had produced “a series of new common understandings”.

In a statement posted on X, the ministry said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump had agreed on a new framework for building “a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability” that would shape bilateral ties “over the next three years and beyond”.

The ministry said the interactions between the two leaders had “enhanced mutual understanding, deepened mutual trust, and advanced practical cooperation”.

It further claimed the Beijing summit had “injected much-needed stability and certainty into the world” amid growing global tensions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday again drew parallels between Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement and his own vision of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” during talks at Beijing’s Zhongnanhai compound.

Addressing Trump during the meeting, Xi said stronger cooperation between the two countries could help both sides achieve their national ambitions.

“Through strengthened cooperation, both China and the United States can promote their respective development and revitalization,” Xi said.

US President Donald Trump said multiple agreements were reached during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, according to China Central Television. Trump also said US-China ties would improve further, expressing confidence that bilateral relations would continue getting better.

-Reuters

During their private lunch at Zhongnanhai, US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping were served an elaborate menu including seafood soup, stir-fried lobster balls, pan-seared beef fillet with morel mushrooms, kung pao chicken, scallops, seasonal vegetables, dumplings and stewed beef buns. Dessert included brownies, fruit and ice cream, along with coffee and tea. Trump was expected to make no further public appearances before departing Beijing for Washington.

• China said the conflict in Iran should never have occurred and has caused serious suffering in Iran and across the region.
• Beijing warned the fallout is disrupting global economic growth, supply chains, trade, and energy security.
• China welcomed the recent US-Iran ceasefire and said renewed dialogue must continue without interruption.
• The foreign ministry said negotiations remain the only viable path, while military force leads nowhere.
• Beijing called for Gulf shipping lanes to reopen quickly to stabilise global trade and energy flows.
• It urged an early, comprehensive ceasefire to restore peace across the Middle East and Gulf region.
• China said it has joined Pakistan in proposing a five-point peace initiative.
• Beijing added it will continue advancing Xi Jinping’s proposals for Middle East peace and support long-term regional stability.

-Al Jazeera

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seen walking through Beijing’s Zhongnanhai Garden during their ongoing summit in the Chinese capital.

The visuals from the highly restricted Zhongnanhai compound offered a rare glimpse into the informal side of high-level US-China diplomacy amid discussions on trade, technology and regional security.

Before their private lunch, Xi Jinping escorted Donald Trump through the gardens of Zhongnanhai, highlighting centuries-old trees, including some up to 400 years old, the Associated Press reported. Xi said Chinese leaders, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai lived there, and described the visit as a return of the hospitality Trump showed at Mar-a-Lago in 2017.

While Donald Trump had lunch inside Xi Jinping’s residence, aides and reporters outside were served McDonald's, Trump’s longtime favourite. White House and U.S. Embassy staff ate in the parking lot, while press members received bags in waiting vans. Trump’s fondness for McDonald’s has become part of his public image, from campaign stops to Oval Office photo ops, AP reported.

During three days in Beijing, Donald Trump took an unusually restrained approach, declining to answer reporters’ questions during public appearances with Xi Jinping, the Associated Press reported. In a notable departure from his usual style, Trump also posted less frequently on social media, appearing to follow Xi's preference for avoiding press interactions, it added.

Donald Trump said “fantastic trade deals” were reached during his “incredible” visit with Xi Jinping in Beijing, though the White House has yet to release details. Trump cited discussions on soybeans, aeroplanes and oil after a two-hour meeting, saying the agreements would benefit both the US and China.

-AP