U.S. President Donald Trump went to great lengths to accommodate Chinese leader Xi Jinping due to alleged physical troubles and lack of stamina during his visit to Washington.
The President appeared to get along famously with the Communist Chinese leader during his time in DC, which included a glamorous State Dinner for the leader and his wife, Peng Liyuan.
But it has now emerged that behind the scenes a string of unusual requests by President Xi, 73, drained valuable time from the summit, Wall Street Journal reported.
The accommodations reportedly centered around the premier’s need for rest and his physical problems amid rampant speculation about his health.
Those familiar with the planning of the summit said his aides largely built the schedule around how much Xi could physically stand and walk and when he would need breaks.
Chinese officials also reportedly asked for Xi to be given a private ‘hold room’ in the West Wing for him to take rest breaks between events where only his wife was allowed to stay with him.
The room request was described by former senior China director at the National Security Council Dennis Wilder as ‘unusual’ and completely unprecedented.
Xi’s need for rest forced the cancelation of a working lunch with Trump on September 24 that left them with a five-hour void in his two-day visit.
