Xi leaves Washington, but keeps at least two places on the White House walls
Chinese President Xi Jinping has left Washington, but he still has a place at the White House. At least two, in fact. Two different photographs of Xi with US President Donald Trump feature on its walls: a handshake image that Trump showed his guest during last week’s state visit, and another beside a Palm Room doorway showing the presidents standing side by side. Journalist Jacqueline Alemany…
Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed Washington, yet he retains at least two photographs of himself with US President Donald Trump hanging on the White House walls. The Palm Room doors now showcase pictures of Trump alongside both Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in addition to images of the presidents alone and with other notable figures.
The Xi photograph hangs in an ornate gold frame beside a crystal chandelier, while the handshake image from last week’s summit sits nearby. During Xi’s visit, Trump questioned the identity of the man in the handshake photo, to which Xi reportedly smiled and indicated a member of his delegation. The Palm Room’s photographic display predates the recent summit, originally featuring images of Trump with Xi, Putin, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The current arrangement remains uncertain, as the White House has not disclosed when the Trump–Xi image was installed or the specific context of the depicted meeting. At a separate event, the presidents’ encounters were prominently displayed at the Chinese embassy’s reception for China’s National Day, highlighting their meetings in Beijing and Washington.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
