After hours of talks on trade, Taiwan and Iran, Chinese President Xi Jinping offered U.S. President Donald Trump something rarely seen by foreign leaders a personal stroll through Beijing’s highly secretive Zhongnanhai compound.
Trump In China’s Power Hub
The walled-off complex, located beside the Forbidden City and near Tiananmen Square, serves as the political heart of modern China, housing both Communist Party leadership offices and the State Council.
As the summit wound down, Xi guided Trump through the former imperial garden, showing him some of Zhongnanhai’s ancient trees in an unusually informal diplomatic moment that was partly captured by a hot mic.
Trump appeared visibly impressed by the age of the towering trees lining the pathways.
“Let me tell you, all the trees on this side are over 200 to 300 years old,” Xi said through an interpreter while pointing toward the garden.
“Over there, there are some more than 400 years old,” he added.
Trump responded with surprise: “They live that long?”
Xi then noted that some trees elsewhere in China were more than 1,000 years old.
The exchange offered a rare glimpse into the personal dynamics between the two leaders, whose summit discussions had otherwise focused on highly sensitive issues ranging from Taiwan tensions and trade disputes to the ongoing Iran conflict.
Trump also asked Xi whether other world leaders were regularly hosted inside Zhongnanhai.
“Very rarely,” Xi replied.
“At first, we usually didn’t hold diplomatic events here. Even after we started having some, it’s still extremely rare. For example, Putin has been here.”
Xi then invited Trump to touch one of the trees, estimated to be around 280 years old.
“Good. I like it,” Trump responded.
The carefully staged walk appeared designed to project both history and symbolism.
Zhongnanhai is not merely a government compound but also a deeply political space associated with China’s leadership elite and continuity of state power. Foreign leaders are seldom granted public access to its inner grounds, making the gesture notable in diplomatic terms.
The hot mic moment also recalled another unusual exchange involving Xi last September, when microphones captured him speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin about organ transplants and the possibility that humans could one day live to 150 years old while walking near Tiananmen Square before Beijing’s military parade.
For Chinese observers, the Zhongnanhai stroll added another layer of symbolism to a summit already rich in carefully managed optics, historical references and personalised diplomacy.
(with inputs from Reuters)
