Xi Jinping's 'unusual' demands of Trump during his US visit revealed

Xi Jinping's 'unusual' demands of Trump during his US visit revealed Xi's Jinping's packed Washington trip reportedly came with strict requirements - behind the scenes, officials were forced to carefully plan the Chinese leader's downtime Chinese President Xi Jinping made a string of unusual demands during his high-profile US visit that reportedly forced Donald Trump to build hours of downtime into their packed schedule. The 73-year-old leader was given his own private room inside the West Wing to rest between events, while plans for a working lunch with Trump were also scrapped, according to the Wall Street Journal. People familiar with preparations for the visit said Chinese officials asked their US counterparts to accommodate Xi’s need for more downtime. His schedule was reportedly shaped around how long he could stand, how far he could walk and when he would need a break. One of the more unusual requests was for a private “hold room” inside the White House, where Xi could rest away from the packed programme. Only his wife, Peng Liyuan, was allowed to join him inside, with even Xi’s chief of staff reportedly unable to use the room. Dennis Wilder, a former senior director for China at the US National Security Council, described the arrangement as “unusual”. Chinese officials had also rejected plans for Xi and Trump to hold a working lunch on September 24, despite the two leaders having sat down for one during Trump’s visit to Beijing in May. The decision helped leave around five hours without anything on the official agenda during the only full day of Xi’s visit. Xi also kept the evening of his arrival free from engagements and reportedly spent just 10 minutes visiting the National Archives despite US officials preparing for him to stay longer. The arrangements have fuelled further questions over Xi’s health, which is rarely discussed publicly by Chinese authorities. However, there has been no official confirmation that the Chinese leader is suffering from a serious health condition and previous incidents have prompted speculation that later proved unfounded. During a BRICS summit last month, footage showing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stopping his speech and asking whether everything was okay sparked speculation online about Xi’s wellbeing. It later emerged that the interruption was caused by a problem with Xi’s translator’s earpiece. Xi also missed a gala dinner during the summit, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi attending in his place. The Wall Street Journal reported that Xi had been unwell. Despite the extra downtime during his Washington trip, Xi still took part in a packed programme of events as Trump rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese leader. The pair held talks on some of the biggest issues dividing Washington and Beijing before attending a lavish State Dinner at the White House. Trump had publicly praised his relationship with Xi during the visit, describing their friendship as “truly great”, although significant differences between the two countries remain. The leaders discussed issues including trade and artificial intelligence, with the two sides agreeing to limited tariff reductions and further talks on AI. Xi’s visit was also marked by elaborate ceremony, including Trump personally greeting the Chinese president and his wife when they arrived at Joint Base Andrews. But behind the Grand Ceremonies, the newly-revealed arrangements show just how carefully Xi’s brief visit had been planned around his requested breaks.