US President Donald Trump left Beijing aboard Air Force One on Friday following his summit meeting in the capital.

Trump said his patience with Iran was running out and he had agreed in talks with President Xi Jinping that the Islamic Republic cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and must reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

"We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve," he said on Friday after being shown around the central leadership compound of Zhongnanhai.

Xi did not comment on his discussions with Trump about Iran, although the Foreign Ministry issued a statement outlining Beijing's frustration with the Iran war.

"This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue," it said.

Trump said of Iran in an interview aired on Thursday night on Fox News' "Hannity" programme: "I am not going to be much more patient. They should make a deal."

On the key issue of Iran's hidden stockpile of enriched uranium, Trump suggested it only needed to be secured by the United States for public relations purposes.

"I don't think it's necessary except from a public relations standpoint," Trump said in the interview.

"I just feel better if I got it, actually. But it's, I think, it's more for public relations than it is for anything else."

In Zhongnanhai, Xi showed off centuries-old trees in the walled-off compound to Trump.

A hot mic captured the leaders' remarks, in which Trump expressed surprise that some of the trees were 1,000 years old.

"Let me tell you, all the trees on this side are over 200 to 300 years old," Xi said, as he gestured towards some towering trunks.

"Over there, there are some more than 400 years old."

Trump replied, "They live that long?"

Xi added: "There are also 1,000-year-old trees in other places."

Trump asked Xi if other foreign leaders were also received in the compound.

"Very rarely," Xi responded.

"At first, we usually didn’t hold diplomatic events here. Even after we started having some, it’s still extremely rare. For example, Putin has been here."

Then he invited Trump to touch a 280-year-old tree.

"Good. I like it," Trump replied.

Xi promised to send him seeds for roses after Trump had made a remark about their beautiful roses.

Before Trump left, the two leaders had a lunch made up of minced codfish in seafood soup, crispy and stir-fried lobster balls and pan-seared beef fillet stuffed with morel mushrooms, kung pao chicken and scallops, braised seasonal greens, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and beans, as well as stewed beef in a bun and steamed pork and shrimp dumplings.

Dessert was chocolate brownies and fruits and ice cream.

Trump said he is willing to continue to maintain sincere and in-depth communication with Xi and looks forward to hosting him in Washington. (Agencies)


Edited by Tony Sabine