The second day of United States President Donald Trump’s visit to China began with his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership’s heavily guarded administrative center.
Zhongnanhai is considered one of the most protected spots in the country and is often described as the “Chinese version” of the White House. The complex spans thousands of acres and includes lakes, gardens, traditional pavilions and government buildings surrounded by historic red walls.
According to CNN, the two leaders walked for about ten minutes in the gardens of the complex before beginning their formal talks. During the tour, Donald Trump reportedly commented that these were “the most beautiful roses” he had ever seen, with Xi Jinping responding that he would send him seeds as a gift.
A few minutes later, the journalists accompanying the US delegation were removed from the area as – according to Chinese officials – the two leaders wanted to continue their discussion privately.
The US President called the visit “unbelievable”, saying important results had emerged from the talks. He said the two sides reached “fantastic trade agreements” and discussed issues that he said “others could not resolve.”
At the same time, Trump made special reference to developments in the Middle East and Iran in particular, noting that both he and Xi Jinping agree that Tehran should not acquire nuclear weapons and that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open.
“We want all this to end because the situation there is crazy,” the US president said.
Security at Zhongnanhai remained extremely tight throughout the visit, with heavy security forces and extensive surveillance measures covering every part of the complex.
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