Chinese President Xi Jinping gives U.S. President Donald Trump a rare private tour during a two-day summit at Beijing’s Zhongnanhai compound, a walled-off area that houses leadership offices at the heart of the Chinese government. According to multiple reports, after discussions covering issues including trade, Taiwan, and Iran, Xi takes Trump for a walk through the compound’s historic garden, described as an enclosed imperial-style landscape with centuries-old trees and long associated with the inner workings of the state.
The outlets also report that the tour is not presented as a public event and is conducted in a more restricted setting than typical diplomatic visits. NBC News additionally notes that a hot microphone captured Trump asking Xi whether other foreign leaders are also received in the compound, indicating the conversation that occurs during the visit. The reports broadly characterize the garden tour as an unusual glimpse into the compound and highlight the controlled access normally associated with Zhongnanhai.
No sources provide new policy outcomes from the tour itself.
