U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his two-day state visit to Beijing on Friday with an exclusive tour of the Chinese Communist Party’s central leadership compound. The diplomatic summit comes as the ongoing 75-day war between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to disrupt global energy markets via Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Chinese President Xi Jinping personally guided Trump through the 1,500-acre Zhongnanhai complex. Following closed-door meetings and a formal lunch, Trump stated the two leaders reached a consensus on preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and stabilizing international trade routes.
The two heads of state walked through the historic Qing Dynasty gardens located inside the heavily guarded compound, according to a Financial Times report on Trump and Xi’s alignment on the Iran war and their private walk through the Zhongnanhai compound. Trump adhered to local diplomatic protocol during the outdoor appearance and ignored shouted questions from the traveling press corps.
During the walk, Xi detailed the history of the grounds and offered to send Chinese rose seeds to be planted in the White House gardens. The state visit marks the first time a sitting U.S. president has traveled to China in nine years.
Addressing the media after the tour, Trump said he and Xi “feel very similar” about how the Middle East conflict should be resolved. He also claimed the delegations secured “fantastic trade deals” regarding U.S. agricultural exports and a 200-aircraft order from Boeing. The White House has not yet released the finalized paperwork detailing the economic agreements.