Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have claimed important progress in stabilizing U.S.-China relations as the U.S President wrapped up critical talks on Friday, May 15, 2026.
The leaders spent a lot of time together the past two days. They met for about two hours at the Great Hall of the People, toured the Temple of Heaven and attended a banquet on Thursday.
Meeting with Xi again on Friday, Trump praised the visit as “incredible.” He said “a lot of good has come of it,” including “some fantastic trade deals” that are “great for both countries.”
While little has been announced about any potential deals as Trump and Xi held a closed-door lunch in Zhongnanhai on Friday, Xi spoke of a positive turn between the two countries. According to a readout, the Chinese President said, “This visit is a historic and landmark visit.”
“Together, we affirmed the new position of a constructive, strategic and stable China-U.S. relationship.
“The visit is also beneficial to promoting mutual understanding, deepening trust in each other, and increasing the well-being of the people of both countries.”
Xi Jinping
The Chinese leader said both countries should carry out the “important consensus” reached during Trump’s visit and keep the relationship on the right track.
Before their closed-door lunch, Xi gave Trump a tour of Zhongnanhai, the former imperial gardens and now the seat of power.
Xi said he invited Trump to the quarters in response to the hospitality Trump showed by inviting him to Mar-A-Lago in 2017.
“Zhongnanhai is where the CPC Central Committee and the State Council work, and it is also where I work and live. After the founding of New China, Chinese leaders including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and others all lived here.”
Xi Jinping
In the highly manicured garden, the two men walked with their interpreters as they admired the greenery. “All these trees are 200 to 300 years years old. There’s a big one that’s about 400 years old,” Xi said as he pointed out specific trees to Trump, who expressed his admiration. “There’s even one that’s 1,000 years old. It’s somewhere else,” Xi said.
Trump and Xi spent about 10 minutes walking Zhongnanhai’s gardens. “These are the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen,” Trump remarked while walking past green columns and archways. Xi said he would send rose seeds to Trump.
After walking the grounds of Zhongnanhai, the leaders had a working tea and then headed in a closed-door lunch before Trump left to return to Washington on Friday afternoon.
Trump’s Meeting With Xi Deepens Trust
According to Chinese state media, a Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said that Trump’s meetings with Xi during his visit have promoted mutual understanding, deepened trust, advanced cooperation and injected “stability” into the world.
The spokesperson said that the twe two Heads of state also “reached important consensus on properly handling each other’s concerns and agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues.”
Referring to a diplomatic framework described previously as focused on managing differences and limiting competition with an eye toward maintaining stability and peace, the Spokesperson added that Xi and Trump agreed on a new framework of “constructive, strategic stability” for their countries.
Also, China reiterated a call to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a bilateral meeting with the U.S. and called for a diplomatic solution to the Iran war.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday, “Now that the door for dialogue has been opened, then it shouldn’t be shut again,” adding that the solution should “take into account the concerns of all parties on the Iran nuclear issue.” “Shipping routes should be reopened as soon as possible,” the ministry said.
Trump said with Xi at this side, “We feel very similar about (how) we want it to end,” adding, “We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.” White House officials say Xi was also opposed to any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait and expressed interest in China potentially purchasing U.S. oil to reduce Chinese dependence on Gulf oil in the future.
Trump has demanded a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program as a condition to end the war. The ministry did not say if China would help negotiate an end to the war, as Trump disclosed in an interview. Instead, the ministry promoted a four-point peace proposal from Xi, which is light on specifics but mentions upholding national sovereignty and international law.
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