BBC reported on Friday, May 15 that U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China concluded at Zhongnanhai in Beijing. As the central headquarters and residential compound of China’s top leadership—originally built in the 14th century and known for its extremely tight security—the garden-style complex once again became the focal stage of high-level U.S.–China engagement.
Rare opening of Zhongnanhai
During the two-day visit, Xi Jinping personally accompanied Trump on a tour of the Zhongnanhai garden area. The arrangement is widely viewed as a highly symbolic diplomatic gesture. Zhongnanhai has long been regarded as China’s “power center,” serving as the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party since 1949, and is often compared to a “Chinese White House.”
According to reports, Trump showed clear interest in the roses in the garden during the visit, calling them “the most beautiful roses anyone’s ever seen!” He even said he would like to bring some back to the White House Rose Garden.
Xi Jinping later responded by saying China would present Trump with Chinese rose seeds as a gift. Trump expressed appreciation, saying, “I love that, that’s great.” He also asked about the lifespan of trees on site and expressed surprise after learning that some can live for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Iran-related issues and trade signals intertwined
In an interview aired by Fox News prior to the formal meeting, Trump said the two sides had discussed the situation in Iran.
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Trump stated that Xi had pledged not to supply Iran with military weapons, while also emphasizing that China remains a major buyer of Iranian oil. The Chinese side did not directly respond to these claims, only stating that it continues to play a role in promoting de-escalation of conflicts.
On trade, Trump said the discussions were “better than ever before” and claimed that China agreed to purchase U.S. oil, Boeing aircraft, and agricultural products. However, China’s foreign ministry did not confirm specific details of any agreement, instead summarizing the talks as reaching a “new consensus.”
Short-term stability, but long-term rebalancing continues
Overall, analyses from Reuters, BBC, and the Financial Times interpret the visit as creating a short-term window of stability, mainly serving to temporarily reduce friction risks, particularly by preventing escalation of trade disputes or spillover of regional conflicts.
At the same time, commentary from these outlets largely agrees that U.S.–China relations are entering a longer-term “rebalancing phase.” The Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal especially emphasize that this phase is not a return to prior levels of cooperation, but rather an attempt—amid intense strategic competition—to establish limited and controlled rules of engagement in order to reduce the risk of systemic conflict.
