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Dewey Sim

Cao Jiaxuan

US President Donald Trump concluded a “landmark and historical” visit to China on Friday afternoon after Chinese leader Xi Jinping hosted him at Zhongnanhai in the heart of Beijing and held small-group talks in the morning.
Trees and roses
The ancient trees and roses at Zhongnanhai drew Trump’s eye and sparked some light-hearted banter between the two leaders.
As they strolled through the Chinese leaders’ compound, Xi pointed out ancient trees, some of them a few hundred years old.
“They live that long?” Trump asked, with a smiling Xi noting that some of the trees were over 1,000 years old.
“Nice place. I like it,” Trump quipped. “I could get used to this.”
Later, Xi delved into the history of the compound, which used to be part of the Imperial Garden.
“The president was interested to learn all about that, including the Chinese roses, which we looked at. And I agreed to send the seeds for these roses to the president as a gift,” Xi said.
While returning to the US on Air Force One, Trump touted a controversial White House ballroom expansion, citing his China trip.
“China has a Ballroom, and so should the USA!” he posted on social media, adding the project was set to open around September 2028.

Taiwan
Trump said he and Xi “talked a lot about Taiwan”.
“On Taiwan, [Xi] does not want to see a fight for independence because that would be a very strong confrontation,” he said. “On Taiwan, he feels very strongly.”
“The last thing we need right now is a war that’s 9,500 miles away. I think that’s the last thing we need,” he added.
On arms sales to Taiwan, Trump said, “I’ll be making decisions.”
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington opposes any attempt to take the self-ruled island by force and remains committed to supplying it with weapons.
‘9.99 out of 10’
Trump spoke positively of his closely watched visit and again dangled the idea of a “G2” when describing the US and China in a Fox News interview that aired on Friday morning.
“I think it’s a very historic summit, it’s the two great countries – I call it the G2,” he said.
“They have G7, they have the G8. This is the G2 and I think it’ll go down as a very important moment in history, and maybe more than anything else, a great moment of respect.”
Xi offered his own assessment during their discussion at Zhongnanhai, calling the trip a “historic and landmark” one.
He said the two leaders had agreed to a new “constructive strategic relationship”.
“It can be considered a milestone visit,” Xi said, adding that the two sides had reached many cooperation agreements and consensus on global issues.
“It’s an honour to be here. We’ll be back,” Trump said.
He posted screenshots on social media highlighting a CNN report that cited a Chinese academic who rated the visit “9.99 out of 10” for putting US-China ties back on track.
Trump said no tariffs were discussed during the summit but that US farmers would be happy about the deal with China.


China’s take
Markets are awaiting details of the deals, with China’s foreign ministry offering no further specifics hours after Trump boarded Air Force One.
China’s foreign ministry gave a wide-ranging but largely general response on Friday covering artificial intelligence (AI), rare earths, Iran and trade, stressing Beijing’s consistent positions.
On AI, the ministry said China supported development that was open, inclusive and mutually beneficial.
It said Beijing’s stance on rare earths was consistent, and China was committed to global supply chain stability. It did not confirm any new agreements with the US.
On Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, the ministry said China’s position was “very clear”, warning the conflict had harmed regional stability, global trade and energy supplies.
Meanwhile, Trump told Fox News that “Xi said if [he] could be of any help whatsoever, [he] would like to help”, adding that the Chinese leader said he was not going to give Iran any military equipment.
Tech titans go viral in Beijing
Elon Musk and his six-year-old son X Æ A-Xii trended on social media after the billionaire entrepreneur posted in Chinese to say the child was learning Mandarin.
The boy was also seen carrying a bag with a tiger’s face at the Great Hall of the People, sparking interest among online shoppers.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was also spotted near Zhongnanhai eating zhajiangmian, or noodles topped with a fermented soybean-based sauce, drawing attention from locals and tourists.


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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Donald Trump concludes milestone China visit after Xi Jinping shows him around Zhongnanhai

Trees and roses

Donald Trump concludes milestone China visit after Xi Jinping shows him around Zhongnanhai