‘For Example, Putin’: How Xi Used a Private Garden Walk to Charm Trump
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping engaged in an informal exchange during a walk through Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound, highlighting a rare personal interaction amid their negotiations.
- Xi guided Trump carefully through the compound, pointing out a century-old tree formed by two merged trees, symbolizing his call for cooperation between the two nations.
- Trump inquired about the frequency of foreign visits to Zhongnanhai, to which Xi replied that such visits are rare, mentioning that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been there previously.
- The exchange was one of the few unscripted moments in an otherwise carefully choreographed summit, with Trump expressing admiration for the compound and saying, "I could get used to this."