US President Donald Trump recently asked Chinese President Xi Jinping a bizarre question. This occurred amid Trump’s state visit to Beijing, China, where he was given a private tour of a fortified leadership compound.
Donald Trump drops a question to President Xi during private tour
In Donald Trump’s ongoing state visit to China, President Xi Jinping gave him a tour of Zhongnanhai, a highly restricted leadership compound. During the tour, the Chinese leader explained the history behind the trees in the garden. Amid all explanations, the Republican leader turned to his translator and said, “Can I ask the president, with other dignitaries from other countries, presidents and prime ministers, does he bring them here?”
In response, according to the translations, the Communist Party leader said, “Very few. We usually don’t hold diplomatic events here. Even after we started having some, it’s extremely rare. For example: Putin.” To that, Trump said, “Good. I like it.” Zhongnanhai is located in Beijing and has a rich cultural heritage. Today, it serves as the workplace and residence of China’s Communist Party and State Council leaders, including President Xi Jinping.
At a later press meet, when a journalist asked Trump about their political relationship, he emphasized his close friendship with Xi. He added that he respected him “greatly” and noted that they had known each other for nearly 12 years. POTUS further praised him for his businesslike approach, seemingly comparing him to other leaders.
This is the second state visit for Trump following the one in November 2017, which was during his first presidential term. His current visit’s agenda reportedly included discussing the ongoing trade tensions between the two countries and expanding US market access in China. Furthermore, the two leaders reportedly spoke about the Iran War, and they believe that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons (via The Daily Beast).
Meanwhile, Xi offered Trump rose seeds from the Zhongnanhai gardens as a gift for the White House Rose Garden. Trump praised the roses, calling them the “most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen.” The visit concluded with a presidential send-off at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Originally written by Harsha Panduranga on Mandatory.
