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Why Xi Took Trump Inside Zhongnanhai, China's Most Guarded Political Compound
US President Donald Trump spent the final morning of his China visit inside Zhongnanhai with Xi Jinping, touring gardens, receiving a seed invitation, and sharing tea and lunch as discussions continued. The piece notes Zhongnanhai's secrecy and recalls past presidential visits, including Nixon in 1972 and Obama in 2014, and explains Xi's gesture of reciprocity after Trump's 2017 Mar-a-Lago visit.
Why It Matters
The visit highlights symbolic diplomacy and reciprocal hospitality at China's most guarded political site, signaling the importance of US-China ties.
Timeline
4 Events
Final morning with Xi at Zhongnanhai during Trump’s China visit
May 15, 2026
On the final morning of Trump's China visit, he accompanied Xi Jinping through Zhongnanhai's gardens, observed blooming roses, was offered seeds to take home, and later sat for tea and lunch as their discussions continued.
Xi explains Zhongnanhai reciprocity after Trump Mar-a-Lago visit
2017
Xi explained that he chose Zhongnanhai as a gesture of reciprocity after Trump hosted him at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in 2017, during their first meeting after Trump took office.
Obama meets Xi at Zhongnanhai in 2014
2014
Barack Obama met Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai in 2014, with reports that they discussed Chinese history and US-China ties.
Nixon meets Mao Zedong at Zhongnanhai during 1972 visit
1972
During his landmark 1972 visit to China, US President Richard Nixon met Mao Zedong at Zhongnanhai, marking the first visit by a sitting US president to China.