In the days leading up to Xi Jinping’s Washington visit, one of the main things on President Donald Trump’s mind was the physical appearance of the White House.
asserted
one → lead → House
After all, Trump was wowed by the grandeur of Beijing when he visited in May – particularly by the capacious Great Hall of the People, and the military display Xi conjured.
uncertain
Xi → wow → People
What would the Chinese leader get to see at the seat of American democracy?
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leader → get → democracy
As they made their way from the central foyer of the White House to the Oval Office on Thursday (US time), Trump led Xi along the colonnade of the Rose Garden – one of the many spaces he has dug up and remodelled since returning to the office last year.
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he → make → office
The wall is now lined by the Presidential Walk of Fame, a Trump addition featuring portraits of his predecessors.
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wall → line → predecessors
Biden’s portrait was replaced by a framed picture of an automatic pen – the device Trump accuses Biden of using to outsource government to his aides.
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Trump → replace → aides
Even though presidents of all stripes have used the pen – himself included – Trump has portrayed this as more evidence that Biden “didn’t know what the hell he was doing”.
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he → use → hell
Trump aide Margo Martin posted a video of the interaction with Xi.
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Martin → post → Xi
“Trump, and then Trump,” the US president says as he gestured towards the two portraits of himself.
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he → say → himself
Then he points to where Biden should be.
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Biden → point → ?
“And this is the autopen,” Trump says, as Xi laughs heartily.
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Xi → say → ?
The portraits also feature blurbs about each president, some of them with input from Trump himself.
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some → feature → Trump
Biden’s begins: “Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President in American History.”
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Biden → begin → History
It continues in that vein.
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It → continue → vein
Later, after their formal meeting, Trump took Xi on a tour of the new helipad that has just been installed on the White House’s south lawn.
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that → take → lawn
They inspected a stationary Marine Corps helicopter, with the US president and his Chinese counterpart spending just under two minutes inside.
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president → inspect → minutes
But it was arguably the helipad that Trump was proudest to show off.
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Trump → show → that
He cut the ribbon on Monday at a short ceremony that was barely audible due to a TV network boycott.
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that → cut → boycott
The landing zone features a large amount of granite – which Trump says will have a “million-year life” – and is marked by large lettering that says: “Seal of the President of the United States”.
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that → feature → States
As he led Xi back into the White House and past a waiting press pack, Trump paused briefly to speak.
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Trump → lead → pack
“We had a great meeting, and he has a great interest in granite,” the US president said of Xi.
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president → have → Xi
“He likes granite.
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He → like → granite
He’s an expert on stone, aside from many other things.
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He → ’ → things
And he loves good granite.
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he → love → granite
Xi remained silent throughout.
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Xi → remain → ?
Meanwhile, first lady Melania Trump took her counterpart, Peng Liyuan, to see Sino-American art at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.
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Trump → take → Art
They visited the Peacock Room, an emporium of blue, green and gold created by American painter James McNeill Whistler in the 1870s to showcase Chinese blue-and-white porcelain.
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They → visit → porcelain
They also inspected a Chinese porcelain vase produced in Jingdezhen during the Qing dynasty.
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They → inspect → dynasty
For Xi, the autopen and the helipad do not mark the end of his cultural immersion.
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autopen → mark → immersion
On Friday, Trump will take him to the National Archives, where they will view some of America’s founding documents, such as the original Declaration of Independence.
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they → take → Independence
On Thursday night (US time), they will all attend a state dinner organised by Melania Trump.
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they → attend → Trump
The menu, designed to showcase “American ingredients with subtle Chinese influence”, includes a yellow squash veloute with wild mushrooms, sesame crusted sea bass with baby bok choy and a vanilla cremeux with a sour cherry confit centre.
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menu → design → centre
Entertainment will come courtesy of tenor Christopher Macchio, who performed at Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
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who → come → inauguration
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world.
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what → get → world
The Aporia
