"Here is a follow-up video capturing a classic moment from the Xi-Trump summit: While Xi Jinping was away using the restroom, Trump casually glanced through a small notebook Xi had left on the table," reads part of a Chinese-language X post published on May 15, 2026.
"At this time, the exact nature of the notebook remains unconfirmed; it could be the dinner menu, notes for a banquet speech, or a personal notepad."
The post shares a 12-second clip which shows Trump leaning towards a folder on the table, flipping through and closing it. The overlaid English text reads: "sneaking a peek at Xi Jinping’s documents".
The scene was captured on May 14 during a state banquet in Beijing as part of the US president's two-day trip to China, aimed at easing tensions between the rival superpowers (archived link).
Chinese social media users have shared quirky moments of the US delegation during the visit, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio apparently admiring the ceiling of the room where Trump and Xi held talks, the 14-second handshake between the leaders, and Elon Musk filming in 360 degrees outside the venue during a welcome ceremony (archived here and here).
The claim has been widely shared on X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Threads. It has also circulated in various languages and was picked up by at least one media outlet.
"Trump was just trying to sneak a peek at Xi's little notebook to see if Xi had written anything bad about him," one user commented, while another...
"Here is a follow-up video capturing a classic moment from the Xi-Trump summit: While Xi Jinping was away using the restroom, Trump casually glanced through a small notebook Xi had left on the tab...