Chinese President Xi Jinping had a parting away gift for Donald Trump. As the US president wrapped up his China visit on Friday, the CPC leader took him for a tour of his 1500-acre compound, Zhongnanhai, saying it is the ‘place where leaders of the party central government of China work and live, including myself’. Trump seemed chirpy about the visit, as he told reporters that this is a ‘rare’ gesture.
Aboard his Air Force One on Friday, Trump said: “I went over to where President Xi lives, which is something that rarely happens. People have never seen it before, it’s amazing actually.”
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However, Trump’s China trip was not very smooth. Reports about mistreatment of American journalists and officials, including one White House aide being ‘trampled’ emerged on Thursday. The Trump administration is yet to address these reports.
Trump ‘insulted’ on Day 1
Some observers also pointed out that Jinping might have ‘humiliated’ his American counterpart on his first day in Beijing. As Trump arrived to an elaborate airport reception featuring a red carpet, military honor guard and cheering students, many noted that the Chinese president skipped the ceremony.
Trump landed alongside a high-profile U.S. delegation that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Elon Musk and Tim Cook.
Instead of Xi personally greeting Trump at the airport, the US president was welcomed by China’s vice president and other senior officials.
Political commentator Brian Allen wrote on X: “Massive insult! Trump just landed in China.”
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He continued: “Xi Jinping did not greet him at the airport. Instead, the US Ambassador, China’s Vice President, and two foreign ministry officials.”
“The White House is calling it ‘red carpet treatment’. The same summit that was downgraded to a low-impact meeting before it started. China is treating the United States like a third-world country,” he added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Meanwhile, social media users circulated older footage from 2018 showing Xi personally greeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the airport during a visit to China.
Xi Jinping’s gift for Trump
On the last day of Trump’s visit, Jinping took Trump to a tour of his residence. The highly secretive compound is often described as China’s equivalent of the White House.
During the tour, Trump appeared particularly captivated by the roses growing throughout the former imperial garden.
“These are the most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen! I asked the president, ‘Could you get me some for the Rose Garden?’ and he said yes. I’ve never seen roses so big!” Trump said while touring the grounds.
Xi later agreed to send seeds from the Chinese roses to the White House.
“We will provide the president with some of our Chinese rose (Rosa chinensis) seeds, as he wants to plant some in the rose garden,” a translator said, according to the traveling press pool.
“I love that. That’s great,” Trump replied.
