U.S. President departed Beijing on Friday following a final meeting with Chinese President . The leaders said they made progress in stabilizing U.S.-China relations, but deep differences remained after two days of meetings and meals.
On Friday they walked the grounds of Zhongnanhai, Xi’s official residence, and had a working tea and lunch. During a series of meetings and events Thursday, the two discussed divisive issues such as the Iran war, .
China has shown little public interest in getting more involved in solving the war in Iran. Xi also suggested differences over Taiwan could put his country and the U.S. on the path toward conflict. Threats of each side imposing steep tariffs also still loom.
Trump said Xi told him and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil and Trump hopes to prod Iran into a deal on U.S. terms. Trump also said Xi assured him that China .
Trump has taken a decidedly rosy outlook on the U.S.-China relationship during this trip. But that has collided with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers including Taiwan, the Iran war and trade.
In a summit marked by fanfare and flattery, Xi warned Trump that differences over Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by Beijing as its own territory, could bring the U.S. and China into clashes or conflict. Trump authorized in December, but has not moved forward with delivery. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned later on Thursday it would be 鈥渁 terrible mistake鈥� for China to take Taiwan by force.
Trump also focused on trade and for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war after Trump鈥檚 tariff hikes.
Here is the latest:
Elon Musk replies to well-known Chinese dissident account on X
Elon Musk said his son is learning Chinese. The message in a public post on X Thursday quickly drew attention on Chinese social media and began to trend.
But what the state media outlets omitted was who Elon Musk responding to. He replied to Teacher Li, or Li Ying, whose X account posts news and videos submitted from users about uncensored news in China and has some two million followers.
Li himself noted the irony that Musk鈥檚 response to him was now trending on Weibo, which is managed by censors. He shared on Friday that many of the accounts that originally wrote up Musk鈥檚 comments have now deleted the posts.
A search on Weibo and local media showed that while the topic was still searchable, some websites had indeed deleted their coverage.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang takes food tour of Beijing
Jensen Huang is trying all of Beijing鈥檚 delicacies, the good and others which may be more of an acquired taste.
Huang was spotted by the public and local media at No. 69 Fangzhuanchang Noodles, for a bowl of 鈥渮hiangmian鈥� — a Beijing specialty that features noodles covered in a thick soybean-paste sauce mixed with vegetables and meat.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so good,鈥� he said, as he dug into the bowl.
But it鈥檚 the 鈥渄ouzhi鈥檈r,鈥� a fermented soybean drink that鈥檚 slightly sour and gray-green in color, that made the Nvidia CEO wince. Videos of his reaction were trending on Weibo Friday afternoon. Huang then quickly reached for a sweet drink from Chinese beverage chain Mixue Bingcheng.
Xi played up a new relationship status: 鈥榤anaged stability鈥�
China said the two leaders agreed to a new vision for dealing with their relationship issues: 鈥渁 constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.鈥�
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the framework would shape ties for at least three years 鈥� the rest of Trump鈥檚 term 鈥� and would focus on cooperation, competition within proper limits, and managing differences.
The idea is 鈥渢o keep the relationship on an even keel,鈥� said Helena Legarda of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.
George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group consultancy, said it can be seen as progress from the Biden era, which framed the relationship as a strategic competition.
Exuberant airport send-off for Trump at end of China visit
Schoolchildren dressed in some of Air Force One鈥檚 light blue and white colors waved American and Chinese flags in a coordinated movement as the U.S. president arrived to board the plane.
鈥淔arewell, farewell,鈥� they chanted. 鈥淲arm farewell!鈥�
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw a smiling Trump off at the airport.
Trump turned at the top of the stairs and pumped his fist and waved before entering the aircraft.
He didn鈥檛 speak again before departing for home.
Trump and Xi wrap up summit
Trump has boarded Air Force One for his flight out of China.
Trump and Xi both said they made progress in stabilizing U.S.-China relations. But deep differences persist.
The leaders spent a lot of time together the past two days.
They met for about two hours at the Great Hall of the People, toured the Temple of Heaven and attended a banquet on Thursday. On Friday they walked the grounds of Zhongnanhai and had a working tea and lunch.
China has nonetheless shown little public interest in getting more involved in solving the war in Iran.
Xi also suggested differences over Taiwan could put his country and the U.S. on the path toward conflict.
Threats of each side imposing steep tariffs also still loom.
Xi says 鈥榣andmark鈥� visit deepened mutual trust
While little has been announced about any potential deals as Trump and Xi held a closed-door lunch in Zhongnanhai on Friday, Xi spoke of a positive turn between the two countries.
鈥淭his visit is a historic and landmark visit. Together, we affirmed the new position of a constructive, strategic and stable China-U.S. relationship,鈥� the Chinese president said, according to a readout from CCTV.
鈥淭he visit is also beneficial to promoting mutual understanding, deepening trust in each other, and increasing the well-being of the people of both countries,鈥� Xi said.
The Chinese leader said both countries should carry out the 鈥渋mportant consensus鈥� reached during Trump鈥檚 visit and keep the relationship on the right track.
Xi hosts Trump in venues with agricultural symbolism
Trump and Xi feasted on Chinese delicacies in the Chun鈥檕u Zhai building in Xi鈥檚 presidential Zhongnanhai compound Friday.
The name of the historic building translates to 鈥淪pring Lotus Roots鈥� and the structure carries farm-related significance: Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century would go there to admire the ancient Chinese 鈥淔ive Cattle鈥� painting every year after the imperial sacrifice to the god of agriculture.
The two leaders on Thursday also visited the Temple of Heaven, another venue with deep agrarian symbolism
as the imperial site for rituals for agricultural prosperity.
Trump has been expected to announce business deals with China in areas such as agricultural purchases, beef exports and aviation but no concrete announcements have been made yet.
Taiwan thanks US for 鈥榗ontinued support鈥�
Taiwan Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanked the U.S. on Friday for the support expressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio the previous day.
Lin thanked the U.S. for 鈥渋ts continued support and valuing of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.鈥�
Rubio told NBC 草莓传媒 on Thursday that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged and it would be a 鈥渢errible mistake鈥� for China to take Taiwan by force.
The U.S. is Taiwan鈥檚 biggest unofficial supporter and main supplier of arms for the island鈥檚 defense.
鈥淎s a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities,鈥� Lin said.
Trump and Xi dine on a menu including stir-fried lobster balls
While folks outside their closed lunch chowed down on McDonalds, the menu for Trump and Xi was far more formal.
The two leaders had minced codfish in seafood soup, crispy and stir-fried lobster balls and pan-seared beef fillet stuffed with morel mushrooms, according to the White House.
They also ate kung pao chicken and scallops, braised seasonal greens, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and beans, as well as stewed beef in a bun and steamed pork and shrimp dumplings.
Dessert was chocolate brownies and fruits and ice cream. Coffee and tea also was served.
After lunch, Trump is not expected to make any more public appearances before heading to the airport to fly back to Washington.
Xi highlights centuries-old trees in Zhongnanhai garden tour
Before their closed-door lunch, Xi gave Trump a tour of Zhongnanhai, the former imperial gardens and now the seat of power.
鈥淶hongnanhai is where the CPC Central Committee and the State Council work, and it is also where I work and live,鈥� Xi said. 鈥淎fter the founding of New China, Chinese leaders including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and others all lived here.鈥�
In the highly manicured garden, the two men walked with their interpreters as they admired the greenery.
鈥淎ll these trees are 200 to 300 years old. There鈥檚 a big one that鈥檚 about 400 years old,鈥� Xi said as he pointed out specific trees to Trump, who expressed his admiration.
鈥淭here鈥檚 even one that鈥檚 1,000 years old. It鈥檚 somewhere else,鈥� Xi said.
Xi said he invited Trump to the quarters in response to the hospitality Trump showed by inviting him to Mar-A-Lago in 2017.
Mc-Beijing: While Trump eats fancy lunch, everyone else gets his favorite fast food
As Trump ate lunch inside Xi鈥檚 residence, the folks outside chowed down on McDonald鈥檚.
The fast-food restaurant with the golden arches is one of Trump鈥檚 favorites. His White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, recently said he eats McDonald鈥檚 every day.
Trump did a stint working out of a McDonald鈥檚 drive-thru window during his 2024 reelection campaign and more recently had a McDonald鈥檚 order delivered to the door of the Oval Office during an event contrived to highlight the elimination of taxes on tips to service industry workers.
Outside Xi鈥檚 residence, U.S. Embassy and White House staff ate their McDonald鈥檚 lunches in the parking lot.
Bags of McDonald鈥檚 food also were delivered to members of the White House press pool as they waited in vans for Trump to depart for the airport and the long trip back to Washington.
Reporters ask questions in China but Trump doesn鈥檛 take the bait
The U.S. president did something highly unusual for him over days of meetings with Xi: he held his tongue in front of the media.
Trump relishes taking reporters鈥� questions, often doing so nearly every day back home.
But Xi, like most members of senior Chinese leadership, refrains from press conferences.
In what might have been deference to Xi, Trump didn鈥檛 answer questions when reporters asked them while the pair toured the Temple of Heaven on Thursday.
And he didn鈥檛 do so again on Friday while walking with Xi at Zhongnanhai.
Trump鈥檚 relative silence even extended to posting on his social media site, where he was not as active as usual during his three-day Beijing swing.
Trump says 鈥榝antastic trade deals鈥� struck during 鈥榠ncredible鈥� visit
The White House so far hasn鈥檛 released details of any deals struck during Trump鈥檚 summit with Xi in Beijing.
Trump told Fox 草莓传媒 about soybeans, airplanes and oil in an interview that followed his two-hour sit-down with Xi on Thursday.
Meeting with Xi again on Friday, Trump praised the visit as 鈥渋ncredible.鈥�
He said 鈥渁 lot of good has come of it,鈥� including 鈥渟ome fantastic trade deals鈥� that are 鈥済reat for both countries.鈥�
Trump says he and Xi discussed Iran
鈥淲e feel very similar about (how) we want it to end,鈥� the president said of the U.S. and Israel鈥檚 war in Iran. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want them to have a nuclear weapon.鈥�
Trump added of both sides and the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed, 鈥淲e want the straits open.鈥�
He said of the conflict in Iran, 鈥淲e want them to get it ended because it鈥檚 a crazy thing there. A little bit crazy. And it鈥檚 no good, it can鈥檛 happen.鈥�
Trump and China鈥檚 leader had a working tea before heading into a closed-door lunch.
Xi promises to send rose seeds to Trump
Trump and Xi spent about 10 minutes walking Zhongnanhai鈥檚 gardens.
鈥淭hese are the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen,鈥� Trump remarked while walking past green columns and archways.
Trump said the pair had struck 鈥渇antastic trade deals鈥� without providing details.
Xi said he would send rose seeds to Trump.
Trump tore up the lawn around the White House Rose Garden last year to make room for a patio space reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
Trump also has said he would like more roses there, recently complaining that the White House鈥檚 garden 鈥渄idn鈥檛 have too many roses.鈥�
Trump and top aides have tea and lunch with Xi and his team
The White House shared the list of participants for the meetings.
Trump is joined by David Purdue, the U.S. ambassador to China; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Xi is joined by Xie Feng, China鈥檚 ambassador to the United States; Cai Qi, a director of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China; Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi; Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ma Zhaoxu and He Lifeng, vice premier of the State Council.
China calls again for reopening the Strait of Hormuz
China reiterated a call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a bilateral meeting with the U.S. and called for a diplomatic solution to the Iran war.
鈥淣ow that the door for dialogue has been opened, then it shouldn鈥檛 be shut again,鈥� China鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday, adding that the solution should 鈥渢ake into account the concerns of all parties on the Iran nuclear issue.鈥�
鈥淪hipping routes should be reopened as soon as possible,鈥� the ministry said.
Trump has demanded a rollback of Iran鈥檚 nuclear program as a condition to end the war.
The ministry did not say if China would help negotiate an end to the war, as Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox 草莓传媒 in an interview.
Instead, the ministry promoted a four-point peace proposal from Xi, which is light on specifics but mentions upholding national sovereignty and international law.
Trump鈥檚 visit has deepened trust, China says
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Trump鈥檚 meetings with Xi during his visit have promoted mutual understanding, deepened trust, advanced cooperation and injected 鈥渟tability鈥� into the world, according to Chinese state media.
鈥淭he two heads of state also reached important consensus on properly handling each other鈥檚 concerns and agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues,鈥� the spokesperson said.
Xi and Trump agreed on a new framework of 鈥渃onstructive, strategic stability鈥� for their countries, the spokesperson added, referring to a diplomatic framework described previously as focused on managing differences and limiting competition with an eye toward maintaining stability and peace.
Trump says China could buy US oil as Iran war drags on
Trump suggested there could be a deal for China to buy oil from the United States after talks in Beijing.
Xi 鈥渟aid he likes the idea,鈥� Trump said in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox 草莓传媒. 鈥淚 think it will happen.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檝e agreed they want to buy oil from the United States. They鈥檙e going to go to Texas. We鈥檙e going to start sending Chinese ships to Texas and to Louisiana and to Alaska,鈥� Trump said.
There were no immediate details of the deals.
Beijing limited U.S. energy imports to a 鈥渂are minimum鈥� after Trump imposed significant trade tariffs in 2025 and U.S. crude exports to China effectively halted more than a year ago, according to trade data and analytics platform Kpler.
Despite the global energy shock from the Iran war, China鈥檚 ample oil stockpile has so far been able to cushion it from bigger economic impacts. Russia has been a major source for crude imports for China.
China was the biggest buyer of Iranian oil before the Iran war began.
Trump and Xi meet in garden at Zhongnanhai
Photos showed the leaders shaking hands on a road alongside a waterway.
Xi also was seen talking to Trump, who admired the garden.
The walled gardens feature winding paths, roses in pink, yellow and red, manicured lawns and carefully tended trees.
A clock chimed 11 as Trump arrived.
Trump heads to more meetings with Xi
The president鈥檚 motorcade is on the way to Zhongnanhai, the Chinese central leadership compound next to the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Its gardens will host Trump and Xi when they pose for an official photo marking Trump鈥檚 trip, then head into a working tea.
The pair also are expected to have a closed-door lunch before Trump leaves to return to Washington on Friday afternoon.
Trump says it would be 鈥榲ery insulting鈥� for US to turn away Chinese students
The Trump administration announced last year it would start revoking the visas of some Chinese students, including those with ties to the Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
Asked about the issue during the Fox 草莓传媒 interview, Trump said, 鈥淚 frankly think that it鈥檚 good that people come from other countries and they learn our culture, and many of them want to stay here.鈥�
Nearly a quarter of all foreign students in U.S. colleges and universities in the 2023-2024 school year, about 270,000, were from China.
Trump cited a figure of 500,000 Chinese students in the interview and said, 鈥渋f you want to see a university system die, take a half a million people out of it.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 something I鈥檓 always looking at. But it鈥檚 a very insulting thing to tell a country, we don鈥檛 want your people in our schools,鈥� he said.
Trump and Xi will talk at Zhongnanhai
Next to Beijing鈥檚 Forbidden City lies a secretive compound wrapped around two human-made lakes built for the pleasure of emperors.
Today, Zhongnanhai, or 鈥渕iddle and southern seas,鈥� is synonymous with China鈥檚 seat of power as the primary residence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the headquarters of the central government.
Zhongnanhai is often compared to the White House, the Kremlin or South Korea鈥檚 Blue House. But unlike the other presidential residences, Zhongnanhai does not serve as the main venue for diplomatic visits.
China鈥檚 top leaders reserve the highly secure grounds for only their closest allies and carefully selected dignitaries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom Xi has called his closest friend, was received at Zhongnanhai at least twice, in 2024 and 2025.
Xi also welcomed former U.S. President Barack Obama to Zhongnanhai in 2014. The two leaders took an evening stroll and had dinner.
Tiger bag worn by Musk鈥檚 son goes viral in China
Elon Musk鈥檚 6-year-old son showed up Thursday at the Great Hall of the People 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 south China to make handcrafted goods.
A bag like the one worn by Musk鈥檚 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鈥檚 online stores.
Trump says some US business leaders met Xi for the first time
The president said in the interview with Sean Hannity of Fox 草莓传媒 that he asked them to join his meeting with Xi at the Great Hall of the People even though their participation wasn鈥檛 scheduled.
Trump said the American business executives were nearby in the building 鈥渁nd I said I think I can get them in five minutes.鈥�
Trump wouldn鈥檛 identify which executives participated but said they introduced themselves and said a few words, and seemed to impress Xi. He said most of them had never met the president of China.
鈥淗e actually said that was very good. That was a good idea,鈥� Trump said of Xi. 鈥淏ut it was very different from what the schedule had.鈥�
Trump says he talked to Xi about U.S. credit card companies鈥� access to China
Trump, whose delegation for the trip included the CEOs of Mastercard and Visa, said he also raised with Xi expanding access to the China market for U.S.-based credit card companies.
鈥淚 said, 鈥榃hat about using Visa in China?鈥欌�� Trump said in his Fox 草莓传媒 interview. 鈥淔or some reason they were blackballed and maybe that鈥檒l come off.鈥�
China allows foreign cards to be linked to instant pay apps such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. But physical card usage is limited mainly to international hotels, high-end shopping malls, and some upscale restaurants.
Visa and Mastercard have been long pushing for inroads to Chinese consumers and businesses in the world鈥檚 second largest economy.
Trump raised issue of Jimmy Lai鈥檚 release with Xi
Trump asked about the release of Jimmy Lai, the 78-year old former newspaper publisher and pro-democracy activist who is serving a 20-year sentence in Hong Kong, in his meeting with Xi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with NBC 草莓传媒 Thursday.
鈥淲e would like to see him released. We would be open to any arrangement that would work for them, as long as he鈥檚 given his freedom,鈥� said Rubio.
Lai was the publisher of Apple Daily, a tabloid that was critical of Chinese and Hong Kong government authorities.
Trump describes Xi as 鈥榳arm鈥� but not prone to small talk
鈥淗e鈥檚 all business,鈥� Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox 草莓传媒 in a taped interview that followed Thursday鈥檚 meeting with the Chinese leader. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no games. There鈥檚 no talking about how nice the weather is.鈥�
Trump said Xi is a 鈥渧ery smart person鈥� and that they have a 鈥済ood relationship.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 all about China,鈥� Trump said.
Trump says Iran has gone back and forth on US extraction of 鈥榥uclear dust鈥�
The president suggested during the Fox 草莓传媒 interview that Irian officials at first 鈥渟aid very strongly鈥� that the U.S. could send it teams to collect hundreds of pounds of enriched uranium believed to be buried under nuclear sites badly damaged by U.S. military strikes last year.
But then, he said, Iran reneged.
鈥淭hey agreed to it. They take it back. They agree, you know it鈥檚 back and forth,鈥� he said.
Whether Iran would be willing to relinquish enriched uranium is a key point in negotiations to end the war.
Trump has long insisted Tehran is willing to do so, but Iran has largely rejected such assertions.
Trump added during the interview that Iran says only the U.S. and China had sufficient technology to remove the enriched uranium, given that its buried deep underground.
Trump describes Xi as 鈥榳arm鈥� but not prone to small talk
鈥淗e鈥檚 all business,鈥� Trump told Sean Hannity of Fox 草莓传媒 in a taped interview that followed Thursday鈥檚 meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no games. There鈥檚 no talking about how nice the weather is.鈥�
Trump said Xi is a 鈥渧ery smart person鈥� and they have a 鈥済ood relationship.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 all about China,鈥� Trump said.
Trump is wrapping up his whirlwind Beijing visit
Trump and Xi are scheduled to hold more talks Friday.
They are set to spend time together at Xi鈥檚 official residence in Beijing before Trump flies back to Washington.
Trump has taken a decidedly rosy outlook on the U.S.-China relationship during this trip. But that is colliding with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers including Taiwan, the Iran war and trade issues.
US farmers hope Trump can negotiate more soybean purchases
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC that 鈥渢here鈥檚 going to be some agricultural purchases鈥� made as a result of this trip.
U.S. soybean farmers were hit especially hard by Trump鈥檚 trade war with China and have urged him to persuade Beijing to buy more of their crop.
China is on track to fulfill its commitment to buy 12 million metric tons (13.2 million tons) of U.S. soybeans this year, although that is well below the 25 million to 30 million metric tons (27.5 million to 33 million tons) purchased in past years.
China, the biggest foreign buyer of U.S. soybeans, stopped buying them altogether last year after Trump hiked tariffs on all Chinese goods. After Trump met with Xi in October, the White House said China agreed to purchase 12 million metric tons.
The American Soybean Association hopes Trump can secure a deal for an additional 8 million metric tons (8.8 million tons) by Aug. 31.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
