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How China and the US felt the weight of history behind Trump and Xi’s meeting in Beijing
Both sides have been sending out similar signals after this week’s summit as they stress the importance of the occasion
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Alyssa ChenPublished: 8:50pm, 16 May 2026Updated: 9:16pm, 16 May 2026Both the United States and China appear keen to present this week’s talks between their respective presidents in Beijing as a “historic” and groundbreaking occasion.
The way they have tried to frame the interactions between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping revealed both sides’ eagerness to emphasise the importance of the occasion.
The messaging began with one of the choices of venue for their talks: the secluded leadership compound in Zhongnanhai in the heart of Beijing, rather than the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, which is more often used to host visiting foreign leaders.Advertisement
When Trump asked Xi whether other foreign leaders had been welcomed to Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leader replied that few had been granted such access.
The exchange, as the two leaders strolled past centuries-old cypress trees in the walled compound’s gardens, captured the careful choreography behind the event.
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Xi later described the summit as one that had been “watched closely by the world”, while Trump said: “All I can say is that was a great success. It was fantastic, we made great deals.”
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