Rare glimpse inside secretive compound at heart of Chinese power... as Trump reveals his delight at 'beautiful' gift from 'friend' Xi

By NIKKI SCHWAB, CHIEF CAMPAIGN CORRESPONDENT Published: 06:41, 15 May 2026 | Updated: 06:50, 15 May 2026 President Donald Trump on Friday was given a rare glimpse at Zhongnanhai, a secretive compound that serves as the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party.  Before tea and a working lunch, the final events of his state visit, the President was given a garden tour by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.  'There are the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen,' Trump commented in the earshot of the press.  In an ornate pavilion, Xi then disclosed he would be sending rose seeds to the President.  Trump was later overheard saying that the roses would be planted in the White House Rose Garden.  In August, Trump had pavers installed over the grass in the historic space and now holds outdoor dinners there, calling it the 'Rose Garden Club.'  As the President toured the outdoor spaces of Zhongnanhai, he gave a thumbs up to the press when asked if he was enjoying his visit.  Chinese minders told reporters 'no questions,' as they tried to shout toward the American and Chinese leaders.  President Donald Trump (right) talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping (left) during a tour of the Zhongnanhai Gardens in Beijing on Friday where Xi promised to send him rose seeds as a gift  President Donald Trump (left) sits alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai, the headqurters of the Chinese Communist Party on Friday. The two leaders would have tea and a working lunch before the President departs for Washington, DC  He later said they had made 'fantastic trade deals.'  Something he reiterated alongside Xi as they sat down for tea.  Xi spoke through a translator and explained why he had invited Trump to Zhongnanhai, a rare invite to outside leaders.  'I have chosen this place especially to reciprocate the hospitality extended to me in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago,' Xi said.  After the garden tour and tea, the President and his smaller delegation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would be served a lunch of minced codfish in seafood soup, crispy and stir-fried lobster balls, pan-seared beef fillet stuffed with morel mushrooms, Kung Pao chicken, braised scallops, stewed beef in a bun, and finally, steamed pork and shrimp dumplings.  A dessert would be served of chocolate brownies, fruits and ice cream, the White House said.   In April 2017, three months into the President's first term, Xi came to see Trump at his Florida club and residence, which was followed up by the President visiting China that November.  Xi is now expected to be hosted at the White House this September.  Xi Jinping (left and far right) gives President Donald Trump (center left) a tour of the gardens at Zhongnanhai President Donald Trump (left) gives a thumbs up as he poses for a photo alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) at Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party  President Donald Trump (center) gets a garden tour at Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party on Friday, alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping (left)  President Donald Trump (center) walks through an ornate structure alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping (left) during a tour of Zhongnanhai Garden during the last day of his trip to Beijing  'There is a lot of history at this compound,' Xi continued. 'On our way in, we stayed to look at some of the old trees. One of them is 490 years old. In other places within this compound, there have been trees that have lived to be over 1,000 years old.'  'The President was interested in learning all about that, including the Chinese roses, which we looked at. And I've agreed to send the seeds for these roses to the President as a gift,' Xi said.  Trump said he'd had an 'incredible visit' and noted how he'd now known Xi for 11 or 12 years.  'We've settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn't have been able to settle. And the relationship is a very strong one,' Trump said.  He noted that the two leaders did discuss Iran.  'We feel very similar on Iran. We want that to end. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon,' Trump went on. 'We want the straits open.'  He added that both leaders wanted the Iran war to end.  'Because it's a crazy thing there, a little bit crazy. And it's no good, it can't happen,' Trump said.  As Xi started to respond, the American press was told to exit the room, before the Chinese leader's translator could spell out what he was saying in English. Moments before the meeting, in an interview aired on Fox News Channel with Sean Hannity, Trump had said during their Thursday meetings that Xi wouldn't firmly say that Iran shouldn't have a nuclear weapon - the basis for the US war.  'He's a pretty cool guy,' Trump told Hannity. 'He's not going to say, "that's a good point."'  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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