Image source, Reuters

Donald Trump is en route back to Washington after two days of what he called “very successful” and “unforgettable” talks in Beijing with Xi Jinping.

For Xi’s part, Chinese media reports said he hailed the “historic and landmark” visit.

Here’s what happened on the summit’s last day:

• At a joint press conference, we learned the two leaders had discussed trade, Iran and "a lot of other things” during their bilateral talks

• Very little about the substance of the talks has been announced by either side, though – particularly on the contentious issue of Taiwan

• No major deals on trade or policy were announced - even though Trump arrived flanked by US business figures

• In a Fox News interview aired during the summit, Trump said China had promised to buy US oil and purchase 200 Boeing jets – but Beijing has not commented on these updates

• We saw Xi guide Trump around Zhongnanhai, the secretive compound where top Chinese officials live and work

• Trump was unusually tame on the visit, quietly listening to Xi’s lesson on Chinese history, writes our China correspondent Laura Bicker

We’re ending our live coverage of the summit here, but you can read more in our news story.

Image source, Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Xi Jinping in Beijing "really soon", where the pair will discuss Donald Trump's recent visit among other subjects, a Kremlin spokesman says.

Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the exact date of the visit would be announced shortly, after revealing yesterday that preparations for the trip were already complete.

Earlier, on a tour of Zhongnanhai, the Chinese president told Trump that Putin was one of the few foreign guests who had also been allowed to visit the complex.

Trump's response: "Good, I like it."

Why both the US and China were seeking assurances on AIpublished at 10:49 BST 15 May

10:49 BST 15 May

Suranjana Tewari
Asia Business Correspondent

No announcements were made on artificial intelligence (AI) or advanced semiconductors at the Trump-Xi summit, despite expectations that AI would be a central topic of discussion.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that “guardrails” for AI would be discussed, and said it was “of utmost importance” for the United States to maintain its lead over China in AI.

The talks come as Anthropic’s Mythos model has raised cybersecurity concerns, with officials warning it could be exploited by criminal or terrorist groups. Chinese state media has also flagged the model.

At the same time, the US continues tightening export controls on advanced AI chips, despite Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang attending the summit in Beijing.

AI and chips sit at the centre of a fierce strategic rivalry between the US and China, with Washington seeking to prevent Beijing from closing the gap.

“If China was leading, we wouldn’t be having these discussions,” Bessent said.

China stocks fell on Friday as the Trump-Xi summit ended without any major deal announcements to excite investors.

The country’s blue-chip CSI300 Index and the Shanghai Composite Index each closed down more than 1%, retreating from modest gains in early trade. Both remain close to recent peaks, though.

The Hang Seng in Hong Kong meanwhile lost 1.6%.

Investors will be watching the two leaders closely now the summit is over, in case any detailed agreements are announced.

Ian Tang
BBC Monitoring

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said today that they did not detect any Chinese aircraft activity during Trump’s state visit on 14 May.

The ministry added that it tracked seven Chinese naval vessels and one official ship operating around the island in a 24-hour period ending 0600 local time today.

Chinese military activities around the island have been considered low this week, with the highest number coming on Monday, when Taipei detected five sorties of Chinese aircraft helicopters operating near the southwestern and eastern part of the island.

Taiwan has been posting daily notices to inform the public of Chinese military activities that could deem a threat to the island.

Suranjana Tewari
Asia Business Correspondent

US trade representative Jamieson Greer has offered one of the clearest glimpses yet into what was discussed during the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Greer said it had not yet been decided whether to extend the current US-China trade truce beyond its expiry later this year.

Greer also said rare earth exports from China to the US were improving, although approvals for some shipments remain slow.

The US expects China to buy “double-digit billions” of dollars worth of American farm goods following the summit, he added.

Trump separately told Fox News that “China will buy a lot of our farm products".

Analysts expect soybeans - America’s biggest export to China - to remain central to any agreement.

China, however, did not confirm any agricultural deals.

Asked whether Beijing had agreed to further farm purchases, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said only that both countries had agreed to maintain stable economic and trade relations.

Ian Tang
BBC Monitoring

Chinese state media has been highlighting Xi's role in arresting the deterioration of relations between the US and China.

Xi "has always taken a strategic and long-term perspective" when it comes to relations with Washington and "offered principles" on how the two countries should "find a right way to get along" the reports say.

After Beijing confirmed Trump's visit on 11 May, the Global Times published an editorial on how Xi had held several calls and meetings with Trump in the past year, which helped "correct the course of the bilateral relationship".

Yesterday, the People's Daily ran a commentary by Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to the US, who wrote that Xi had "steered the direction" of China-US relations "at crucial moments" and guided bilateral relationship forward over the "storms" over the last nine years - a reference to the ups and downs of ties with Washington since Trump's last visit in 2017.

Such messaging is a deliberate move to portray Xi as an experienced statesman, and to assure the Chinese public that Xi's approach to diplomacy is beneficial for the country.

Laura Bicker
China correspondent

Xi seemed to enjoy giving Trump a Chinese history lesson as they toured the 15th Century Temple of Heaven. The US leader revelled in the carefully choreographed stagecraft.

But for a president who built his brand on being tough on China, he seemed rather deferential in his tone and unusually quiet in front of the cameras - especially when asked about Taiwan.

He also hasn’t announced any major trade - something he has been pursuing since he first became US president in 2016.

Xi will view Trump as a leader that has been forced to U-turn on trade tariffs and that is now embroiled in a war in the Middle East that he cannot seem to end.

For the last five years there has been a saying in China - “the east is rising, the west is declining.”

Trump’s volatility and mercurial style has allowed Xi to re-position his country.

China was once eager to catch up to the west - now Xi may feel after playing host to the US president, that he is on the verge of surpassing it.

Image source, Reuters

Beijing has been busy making trade deals with other countries since the last US-China summit in October.

In January, China and South Korea signed multiple export contracts and agreements for its businesses to cooperate in boosting technology, trade and transportation.

China and Canada - which have been butting heads with Washington over tariffs - agreed to lower duties against each other, marking a breakthrough after years of strained ties.

And in May, China scrapped its tariffs on most African countries, deepening its ties with the continent.

Some analysts say China's deals have portrayed Beijing as a partner for trade, in stark contrast to the sanctions that the US has introduced.

Earlier Trump told Fox News about several trade commitments Xi had apparently made, including the purchase of 200 Boeing jets, US oil and agricultural products such as soybeans.

But at a Chinese foreign ministry press briefing taking place now, its spokesperson appears to be sidestepping questions about those deals.

Without confirming or denying the deals, the spokesperson instead pointed to the "important consensus" that both sides have reached during Trump's visit.

"The essence of China-U.S. economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win cooperation," the spokesperson said in another response.

Image source, Getty Images

As analysts size up the achievements of this summit, it's worth looking back on what Trump and Xi agreed on the last time the US president was in Beijing.

Trump's 2017 visit to China was largely seen as a success, with both sides signing trade agreements worth over $250bn across various sectors - allowing Trump to demonstrate his efforts at shrinking the US' trade deficit with China.

Trump said during his visit that he "did not blame China" but instead faulted previous US administrations for “a very unfair and one-sided” trade relationship with China - a departure from his previously intense rhetoric about the issue during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Xi, on his part, said China is willing to "focus on cooperation [with the US]" and managing the two countries' differences.

While the optics were positive, however, some analysts said the meeting did little to improve trade relations in a sustainable way. Some also pointed out that unlike previous US leaders, Trump failed to address allegations of human rights abuses in China, in favour of prioritising trade deals.

Trump's trip was heavy on pageantry, light on policypublished at 08:15 BST 15 May

08:15 BST 15 May

Laura Bicker
China correspondent

This visit has been heavy on pageantry but so far, we’ve seen very little policy agreed between the two sides.

It does seem that the war in Iran has dominated a summit that was supposed to be about trade.

Trump claims Xi has committed to withholding military equipment from Iran. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also released a statement which says that Beijing has been working tirelessly to help end the conflict - an acknowledgement that officials are working behind the scenes to nudge China’s ally Iran toward the negotiating table.

Trump also claims that China is in discussions to buy 200 Boeing aircraft and maybe even US oil.

We expect to hear that both sides have also agreed to continue the trade truce agreed in Busan last October.

The real win may be that these talks happened at all.

Image source, Variety via Getty Images

On this trip Trump brought along with him some of the most senior members of his administration, executives from major US companies - and an unexpected guest.

Brett Ratner, the director of the Rush Hour film franchise, accompanied the US president to Beijing reportedly to scout locations for a fourth movie in the Rush Hour series.

Ratner hinted as much on Instagram yesterday when he posted a video stepping out from the Great Hall of the People. "East Meets West," he said in his caption, alongside the hashtag #RushHour4.

Ratner directed and produced Melania, a documentary about the first lady, that was released earlier this year.

Known for his action movies, the Hollywood director took a career hiatus in 2017 when he was accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct - allegations which he denied.

Image source, VCG via Getty Images

Air Force One has now taken off from Beijing, as Trump heads back to Washington after his highly anticipated meetings with Chinese President Xi.

We now have a Chinese state media readout of the Zhongnanhai talks between Xi and Trump.

Xi called it a "historic and landmark" visit and said that the two leaders established "a new positioning for the constructive strategic and stable relationship" between their two countries.

"President Trump hopes to make America great again, and I am committed to leading the Chinese people to realise the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation," he said in the remarks, adding that both countries should implement the "important consensus" reached.

Trump said the visit was "very successful, world-renowned, and unforgettable", according to the Chinese readout, and called Xi "an old friend of mine," saying "I have great respect for him".

"I am willing to maintain sincere and in-depth communication with President Xi Jinping and warmly look forward to hosting him in Washington."

At Beijing Capital International Airport, Trump has just walked up the stairs to enter Air Force One.

It's a red carpet sendoff for Trump, who walks past rows of Chinese soldiers standing at attention and students waving Chinese and US flags in unison.

As he said his goodbye to his Chinese hosts, Trump grabbed Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi by the shoulders and gave him a friendly pat.

Trump's motorcade is leaving Zhongnanhai and is bound for the airport, marking an end to the US president's visit to Beijing.

Stay with us as we bring you more updates and analysis from the Trump-Xi meeting.

Xi positions himself as stable world leader amid China's 'inexorable rise'published at 07:11 BST 15 May

07:11 BST 15 May

Laura Bicker
China correspondent, reporting from Beijing

Xi Jinping has been rolling out the red carpet for world leaders eager to do a trade deal with China - including key US allies like Britain, Canada and Germany.

The Chinese leader has been eager to portray himself as a stable, global leader in contrast to the unpredictable US president.

"We are witnessing an historical change," says John Delury, a senior fellow from the Asia Society's Center on US-China Relations.

"I hesitate to put too much on this specific summit, but the inexorable rise of China to a place where it is legitimately rivalling the US. That is now happening before our eyes. Beijing is now the second world capital."

China has welcomed a parade of high-profile foreign leaders in recent months including France's Emmanuel Macron, South Korea's Lee Jae Myung, Canada's Mark Carney and Germany's Friedrich Merz.

In January, Keir Starmer became the first British prime minister to visit China in nearly a decade.

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs and unpredictable threats - from acquiring Greenland to pulling troops from Europe - have cast uncertainty over America's longstanding alliances.

This has pushed US allies closer to China, the world's second-largest economy. And Beijing is happy to project an image of stability in contrast to the US.

During Carney's visit to Beijing in January, in which he signed a series of trade deals with China, he told reporters that the global order was at a "point of rupture".

The re-calibration of ties with China has set Canada up "well for the new world order", he said.

Image source, Pool/Getty Images

Here's another presidential conversation that was heard during Trump and Xi's walk around Zhongnanhai, captured on video:

"Can I ask the President: with other dignitaries from other countries, presidents or prime ministers, does he bring them here?" Trump asked, as he and Xi stood with their translators in a garden.

"Very few," Xi replied. "We usually don’t hold diplomatic events here. Even after we started having some, it’s still extremely rare."

"For example, Putin," Xi added. The Russian president has visited Zhongnanhai several times during previous visits to China."

"Good. I like it," Trump said.

On Thursday, as the two presidents met for bilateral talks, Russia announced that Putin would pay another visit to China very soon.