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Trump Meets Xi Jinping in Beijing During High-Level Visit to Zhongnanhai
President Donald Trump visited Beijing on May 15, 2026, for a state banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping the previous evening at the Great Hall of the People. Trump called Xi "my friend" and invited him to the White House in September. Business executives including Elon Musk, Jensen Huang and Lei Jun drew heavy social media attention during the events.
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President Donald Trump visited Beijing, China on May 15, 2026, where crowds gathered along streets near the Four Seasons hotel and the Great Hall to view his motorcade. Members of the public watched from behind a barricade as the motorcade ferrying Trump traveled along a closed street that day.
The visit featured brass bands and flower-waving schoolchildren at the airport, a private tour of the Temple of Heaven, and a closing garden stroll at Zhongnanhai.
Zhongnanhai is the walled compound where China's top leaders have worked and lived since 1949. During that garden stroll, Chinese President Xi Jinping offered Trump rose seeds as a parting gift. Xi hosted Trump at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People on May 14, 2026.
Trump, Xi, and others shook hands at the banquet. " He also invited Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan to visit the White House in September. Trump raised a glass that looked like white wine during the toast at the state banquet on May 14, 2026.
The White House did not respond to CNBC's request for comments on the contents of Trump's glass. The state banquet menu included beef ribs and tiramisu. Chinese CEOs at the banquet included ByteDance's Liang Rubo, Lenovo's Yang Yuanqing, and Fuyao Glass Industry Chairman Cao Hui.
Musk, Jensen Huang, Tim Cook, and Pete Hegseth appeared together in a group photo at the state banquet. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun took a selfie with Elon Musk before the start of the state banquet. The hashtag "Lei Jun and Musk photo together" drew more than 20 million views on Weibo.
