The much-anticipated Trump–Xi Summit—billed as a long-awaited reunion between the leaders of China and the United States—ended up dominated by an unlikely prop: a handwritten note sheet in Xi Jinping’s hands.
Footage and screenshots circulating online showed the Chinese president reading directly from his script throughout the meeting, rarely lifting his head to look at U.S. President Donald Trump. The scene quickly sparked lively debate among international media outlets and social media users.
Russian media were the first to capture and amplify the footage, focusing on Xi’s “note sheet.” When the images were zoomed in, the notebook appeared to feature exceptionally large characters, possibly accompanied by pinyin annotations. One X (formerly Twitter) account, “Israel War,” claimed that the words “fen tai ni (Fentanyl)” were visible on the page.
Online commentators mocked the moment, with one post reading, “This wasn’t a diplomatic meeting—it looked like a language exam.” Another joked, “Trump looked like a teacher grading a student’s test.”
Reports suggested that Trump appeared intrigued by the unusually large print, occasionally glancing at Xi’s notebook with a faint smile—an image that quickly became the subject of memes and satire.
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A screenshot circulating online shows Xi Jinping reading from what appears to be a large-font script during the Trump–Xi Summit.
China’s official state media made little mention of the viral footage, instead emphasizing that the meeting was “pragmatic and constructive.” Analysts noted that it is not unusual for national leaders to refer to prepared notes, but Xi’s near-total lack of eye contact or spontaneous engagement stood out as particularly rigid.
Online, hashtags such as “Xi reading without looking up” and “Trump peeking at the notes” began trending within hours. One user joked that “a diplomatic summit turned into a reading recital,” while another quipped, “Chinese characters are so profound that even Trump wanted to learn a few.”
Although Beijing has issued no official response, the image of Xi bowing over his oversized script has already become one of the most talked-about—and most unexpected—moments of this year’s Trump–Xi Summit.
Key outcomes of the summit
Beyond the viral images, the summit also delivered concrete diplomatic results.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business Network that Washington and Beijing had reached a new trade agreement expected to be formally signed as early as next week.
According to Bessent, the deal includes:
- China purchasing at least 12 million tons of U.S. soybeans annually for the next three years;
- A commitment by Beijing to reduce exports of Fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States;
- A U.S. pledge to halve punitive tariffs linked to the Fentanyl trade.
Washington also agreed to delay by one year the rollout of new export restrictions under the “Entity List” and to suspend Section 301 sanctions targeting China’s shipbuilding and maritime logistics sectors—reportedly in exchange for China easing rare earth export controls.
Bessent added that the two leaders discussed energy cooperation, with Beijing expressing interest in Alaska’s oil and gas pipeline projects—a move that could generate up to $2 trillion in new U.S. investment.
He also confirmed that the TikTok divestment deal was finalized during the Kuala Lumpur talks and would proceed “within weeks.”
