White House Releases Multiple Photos of Xi-Trump Meeting; Xi Jinping Beaming with Smiles

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump held talks in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. On the 31st, the White House released multiple photos from the meeting, some of which showcase the more relaxed side of the encounter.

On the 31st, the White House released over 30 new photos from the talks, including pictures of Trump and Xi arriving separately at the venue by car, Xi shaking hands with U.S. officials, and the two heads of state shaking hands.

Some of the photos reveal a relaxed atmosphere during the meeting, where Trump showed Xi a piece of cardstock. Although the content on the card is not visible in the photos, it’s apparent that after seeing it, Xi and other Chinese officials burst into laughter.

Michael Green, a former senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council during the Bush administration, commented on social media, saying that the cardstock appeared to be one of Trump’s talk point cards. He remarked, “Just like the ones I used to prepare for Bush, but I’m also curious what was on the card that Xi found so amusing?”

The two leaders met on the 30th at an air force base next to Busan Gimhae International Airport. When taking photos before the meeting, both Xi and Trump expressed pleasure at meeting again. Their last encounter was during the G20 Summit in June 2019.