A state banquet, selfies and a noodle run: Trump’s Beijing visit

China’s capital turned into a spectacle as the leaders of the world’s two most powerful economies rekindled personal ties with a delegation of American business leaders accompanying US President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday and Friday.

The first visit to China by a sitting U.S. president in nearly a decade was filled with friendly overtures, closely planned stunts, business deals and headline-grabbing sideshows that captivated audiences on both sides of the Pacific.

Beijing has used its diplomatic arsenal to the fullest.

It included marching bands and flower-waving schoolchildren at the airport, a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People, a private tour of the Temple of Heaven, and a closing garden parade at Zhongnanhai (the walled compound where China’s top leaders have worked and lived since 1949), where Chinese President Xi Jinping presented Trump with rose seeds as a farewell gift.

“There were unusually long public handshakes, back pats, smiles and synchronized walks,” said Lyle Morris, senior fellow for foreign policy and national security at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “The interaction was warmer and more relaxed than previous Trump-Xi encounters,” Morris said.

Crowds gathered in the streets near the Four Seasons hotel and the Great Hall to see Trump’s motorcade. “It was a pretty big demonstration,” said Alicia Liao, a university student in Beijing. “We had an exam the next day, but almost everyone followed the broadcast or social media clips.”

Xi hosted Trump at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday and toasted him before an audience of cabinet officials and executives from some of the two countries’ most successful companies.

In his speech, Trump called Xi “my friend” and said “we will have a great future together,” while inviting Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan to visit the White House in September.

After his opening remarks, Trump raised a glass filled with what appeared to be white wine, but the famously non-drinking president likely had an alternative. Protocol for non-drinking leaders typically includes sparkling cider or fruit juice, as in the case of George W. Bush. The White House did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the contents of Trump’s cup.

But whatever was in the glass, the toast gesture was widely viewed on Chinese social media as a sign of respect for the host country and its leadership.

In China, Trump is “a cultural icon and thus a source of conversation, controversy and inspiration that only he can be,” said Han Shen Lin, China country director for The Asia Group.

The menu also reads like a work of diplomacy in itself: a mix of Chinese national dishes and international cuisine, including beef short ribs and tiramisu, an obvious reference to Trump’s culinary preferences. China has been using food symbolism for decades during important official events or when receiving distinguished foreign visitors.

On the sidelines of the banquet, Chinese CEOs jostled for a brief chat with Elon Musk. Among the guests were: Liang Rubo from ByteDance Lenovo’s Yang Yuanqing and Fuyao Glass Industry Chairman Cao Hui, according to pictures on state broadcaster CCTV.

Huang joined Trump’s delegation as a last-minute addition after initially being left off the list, and boarded Air Force One during refueling in Anchorage after Trump called to invite him. Signs have emerged that Nvidia could do this soon After Washington grants export licenses, the sale of its second most advanced chips to China will continue.

At the meeting held on Thursday, the two sides agreed to work on a framework that will put bilateral relations on a more stable basis for the next three years. The Trump administration said China agreed to buy more Boeing planes, agricultural products and American oil. Xi told the American CEOs who came together that the door to doing business in China would be opened. just open it wider.