President Trump and China's Xi Jinping walked through Zhongnanhai, the walled leadership compound in Beijing, in a rare unscripted moment during their highly choreographed summit. Xi put his hand out to guide Trump through an archway and pointed to a step to prevent him from tripping. The Chinese leader showed Trump ancient trees, including one more than 100 years old that had merged together.

The gesture appeared to allude to Xi's calls for the two countries to work together amid their ongoing rivalry. When Trump asked if Xi often brings foreign leaders to Zhongnanhai, the Chinese president shook his head. "Very rarely," he said.

Xi then pointed to Trump and mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin, a closer partner of Beijing's whom Trump has publicly admired. "For example, Putin has been here," Xi said with a chuckle. In 2024, Putin and Xi spent hours together in the Zhongnanhai gardens, drinking tea.

At the end of the tour, Trump gestured to the trees around him and told Xi how much he liked the elite compound. "I could get used to this," he said. The private exchange offered a glimpse into how the two leaders interacted as they negotiated the rivalry between their countries.