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As it happened: Trump, Xi wrap up landmark summit with warm words; stark differences remain on Taiwan

Lisa Visentin and Tom Housden
Updated ,first published

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Pinned post from 8.59am on May 15, 2026
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What happened today

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We’re ending our coverage of US President Donald Trump’s landmark summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Here’s what we covered today.

  • Trump and Xi held a 90-minute working lunch on Friday at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound in the heart of Beijing. On arrival, the two leaders took a leisurely walk through the historic former imperial gardens before appearing briefly in front of the media.
  • Trump said the two had “made some fantastic trade deals, great for both countries” and said they had discussed Iran and felt “very similar”, though Xi did not comment.
  • A brief US summary of Thursday’s talks highlighted what the White House called the leaders’ shared desire to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and Xi’s apparent interest in American oil purchases to reduce China’s dependence on Middle Eastern supplies.
  • The two leaders attended a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday night to conclude the first day of meeting, which began with a lavish welcome ceremony featuring a military guard of honour and a crowd of cheering schoolchildren.
  • During yesterday’s talks, Xi warned that the issue of Taiwan could push relations between the two powers into “a very dangerous place”, with the potential for “collision or clashes”.
  • Thursday’s meeting lasted for two hours – much longer than expected. Afterwards, Xi accompanied Trump on a tour of the city’s ancient Confucian Temple of Heaven.
  • A high-powered delegation of American business leaders accompanied Trump to China, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, Larry Fink, David Solomon and Kelly Ortberg.
  • Trump said he had invited Xi for a state visit to the US in September.

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Smiles mask thorny issues left unresolved

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Xi and Trump ended their landmark summit claiming important progress in stabilising relations – but behind the scenes, major differences persisted between the two superpowers on Iran, Taiwan and more.

“It’s been really a great couple of days,” Trump told reporters as he met Xi at his exclusive leadership compound in central Beijing.

Xi, for his part, called it a “milestone” visit. “We have established a new bilateral relationship, or rather a constructive, strategic, stable relationship,” he said. But those optimistic words collided with difficult truths about thorny issues that largely appear no closer to resolution.

Trump and Xi pose outside the Zhongnanhai leadership compound.Getty Images

Trump offered the view that he and Xi felt the same about the war in Iran – that the conflict should end and the Strait of Hormuz fully reopen. Xi, however, remained silent – a marked contrast to his blunt words a day earlier to Trump that the issue of Taiwan, if mishandled, could trigger “clashes or conflict” between the two powers.

Putin to visit Beijing next week

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Russian leader Vladimir Putin will visit Beijing on May 20, the South China Morning Post reports, just days after Xi’s summit in the Chinese capital with his US counterpart Donald Trump.

The one-day trip is seen as a routine part of the Kremlin’s relationship with Beijing, the SCMP said, citing unidentified sources, who added that it was unlikely to feature any elaborate ceremonies like a parade.

Xi has previously described Vladimir Putin as his “best friend”.AP

China’s Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The Kremlin hasn’t officially announced the date of the visit so far.

Putin’s visit to China will be his first trip abroad this year, underscoring the close ties between Beijing and Moscow. Both countries see each other as critical partners in their broader struggle to challenge the US-led world order.

Bloomberg

Exuberant airport send-off for Trump

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Schoolchildren dressed in some of Air Force One’s light blue and white colours waved American and Chinese flags in a co-ordinated movement as the US president arrived to board the plane at Beijing’s International Airport.

Trump shakes hands with officials as he prepares to board Air Force One.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

“Farewell, farewell,” they chanted. “Warm farewell!”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw a smiling Trump off at the airport.

The president gave a final wave at the top of the stairs.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The president turned at the top of the stairs and pumped his fist and waved before entering the aircraft. He didn’t speak again before departing for home.

AP

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Trump, Xi wrap up day two meeting

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Trump and Xi’s meeting at Zhongnanhai has now ended, with the two leaders posing for a final handshake photo outside. Today’s talks – billed as a working lunch – ran for about 90 minutes, slightly shorter than yesterday’s session at Beijing’s Great Hall.

Xi and Trump shake hands at the end of their two-day summit. Getty Images

Trump will now head to the airport and depart for Washington at the conclusion of the two-day trip, the first by a US leader to China for nine years.

Trump speaks outside the Zhongnanhai complex earlier.Getty Images

‘Other presidents – does he bring them here?’ Trump asks of Xi

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As the two leaders made their way into the meeting earlier, Trump could be heard asking Xi whether he had brought other presidents and prime ministers to the Chinese leadership compound Zhongnanhai. Xi appeared to shake his head in response, but his full answer – through the translator – unfortunately could not be heard.

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Zhongnanhai offers a prestigious setting for Trump and Xi’s meeting and represents a gesture of hospitality. Only a handful of US leaders have been inside the heavily guarded facility next to the Forbidden City. It is generally not used for diplomatic visits.

Richard Nixon, the first American president to visit China, met Chairman Mao Zedong there during his groundbreaking trip in 1972, while George W. Bush visited the walled compound twice, in 2002 and 2008. Former president Barack Obama visited in 2014, while Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Xi has called his closest friend, was received at Zhongnanhai at least twice, in 2024 and 2025.

Former president George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush visit Zhongnanhai as guests of Chinese president Jiang Zemin (third left) in 2002.

Watch: Trump and Xi stroll through historic imperial gardens

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Footage posted on social media by the White House shows the two leaders walking through the grounds of Zhongnanhai ahead of their final-day meeting.

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Tiger bag worn by Musk’s son goes viral in China

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Elon Musk’s six-year-old son showed up at the Great Hall of the People yesterday decked in Chinese-style clothing and wearing a tiger bag that has since gone viral in China.

The tiny tiger-head crossbody bag is produced by artisanal brand YASTEE, which works with embroiderers in southern China to make handcrafted goods.

Elon Musk and his son X Æ A-Xii in Beijing.AP

A bag like the one worn by Musk’s son takes several days to make and decorate by hand, according to local media.

The bag went viral on Chinese social media and sold out in hours on the company’s online stores.
AP

‘We discussed Iran. We want that to end’: Trump

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Trump said he and Xi had discussed Iran during the previous meeting, and both felt “very similar” on wanting the conflict to end.

“We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon, and we want the straits open. We’re closing it now; they closed it, then we closed it on top of them. We want the straits open and we want them to get it ended because it’s a crazy thing there … they’re a little bit crazy. It’s no good, we can’t have it. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.

“We discussed a lot of other things also and we’re going to have some further discussions now with the group.”

Trump and Xi at the Zhongnanhai Garden.Getty Images

Xi and Trump talk trees and roses

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On the way into their meeting, Xi accompanied Trump on a walk through the historic grounds at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound, a venue not typically used for diplomatic visits.

The Chinese leader led Trump on a short walk through gardens featuring ancient trees and Chinese roses. The leaders strolled through a covered passageway with green columns and archways painted with birds and traditional Chinese mountain scenes. They then gathered in an ornate pavilion with top aides for talks over tea.

Xi escorts Trump through the historic imperial garden.Getty Images

“I’ve chosen this place to reciprocate the hospitality shown to me in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago,” Xi explained to the gathered media.

“This place used to be part of the imperial garden; there is a lot of history around this compound, and on our way in, we stopped to look at some of the old trees – one of them is 490 years old.

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What is the ‘Thucydides Trap’ – and can it be avoided?

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When Xi met Trump yesterday, he posed a big question: Can China and the US avoid the “Thucydides Trap”? It’s a phrase that sounds academic, but it goes to the heart of Beijing’s ambitions for their relationship.

The term was popularised by Harvard political scientist Graham Allison in the early 2010s, drawing on the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. His argument: When a rising power challenges an established one, conflict inevitably follows. Allison’s research found that this pattern recurred throughout history, and he used this framing as a lens to examine the US-China rivalry.

Xi and Trump participate in a “friendship walk” through Zhongnanhai Garden.Evan Vucci/Pool Reuters via AP

In simple terms, it’s about structural tension. China’s rise – economically, technologically and militarily – challenges America’s long-standing dominance as a world superpower. Even if neither side seeks confrontation, the risk is that competition itself creates pressure that’s difficult to control.

A bust of fifth-century historian Thucydides.
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