US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping visited Beijing’s historic Temple of Heaven after concluding high-stakes talks on Thursday in a landmark meeting between the leaders of nations commonly believed to be adversaries.
The two leaders arrived at the world heritage site shortly after 1 pm (0500 GMT), where Trump told reporters that “China is beautiful”, after talks that touched on sticking issues.
As global attention turns to US President Donald Trump’s high-profile visit to China and the pitstops at iconic places, memories have resurfaced of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark 2015 stop at Temple of Heaven – a visit that produced one of the most memorable diplomatic images of the decade.
Housed in a sprawling imperial complex heavy in symbolism, the UNESCO-listed monument ‘Temple of Heaven’ is believed to be where Chinese emperors once prayed for abundant harvest.
PM Modi’s powerful Temple of Heaven selfie
During his May 2015 trip to China, Modi was hosted at the historic imperial complex by then Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The visit stood out not only for its symbolism but also for the informal chemistry displayed between the two leaders at a time when New Delhi and Beijing were attempting to deepen economic engagement despite persistent boundary tensions.
The defining moment came when Modi and Li paused at the sprawling courtyards of the Temple of Heaven for an impromptu selfie. The image – featuring the Indian Prime Minister holding up his phone with the ancient monument in the backdrop – quickly went viral across social media and international news platforms, becoming emblematic of a new era of personalised diplomacy and leader-driven optics.
The two leaders back then reviewed the progress of bilateral relations and noted that there is a historic imperative for India and China to enrich their ties.
A joint statement issued over PM Modi’s visit stated that the leaders agreed that simultaneous re-emergence of India and China as two major powers in the region and the world offers a momentous opportunity for realisation of the Asian Century.
“They noted that India-China bilateral relations are poised to play a defining role in the 21st Century in Asia and indeed, globally. The leaders agreed that the process of the two countries pursuing their respective national developmental goals and security interests must unfold in a mutually supportive manner with both sides showing mutual respect and sensitivity to each other’s concerns, interests and aspirationism,” the statement read.
At the time, the selfie was widely interpreted as a carefully calibrated soft-power gesture by both sides, projecting warmth and accessibility while highlighting subtly the importance of India-China ties.
More than a decade later, as Trump is now at the Temple of Heaven during a trip that the entire world is watching with expectations of few breakthroughs on divisive issues ranging from the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.
In a closed-door meeting, Xi Jinping told Donald Trump that if Taiwan is handled well, US-China relations “will enjoy overall stability,” according to a readout of their bilateral talks published by the official Xinhua news agency.
If not, however, the two countries risk “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Xi was reported to have said.
Xi says the US and China should be ‘partners rather than rivals’
The US and China should be “partners rather than rivals,” Xi told Trump ahead of their bilateral talks.
“I always believed that the common interests between China and the U.S. outweigh their differences,” Xi was quoted as saying, adding that cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.
