Trump told he and Putin are rare visitors to Beijing’s secretive compound

WorldPolitics
15 May 2026 • 7:06 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Trump told he and Putin are rare visitors to Beijing’s secretive compound

Donald Trump appeared to be pleased to join the limited number of world leaders who have been invited into a secretive imperial garden in China.

Xi Jinping granted the US president a tour of the walled-off Zhongnanhai compound as Trump concluded his state visit on Friday, 15 May.

When asked whether he brings other foreign leaders to the garden, Xi told Trump: "Very few. We usually don’t hold diplomatic events here. Even after we started having some, it’s still extremely rare.

"For example, Putin."