Viral Post Claims Donald Trump Caught On Camera Secretly Snooping Through Xi Jinping's Private Notebook In Beijing

Donald Trump was allegedly caught on camera in Beijing leafing through what social media users claim was Chinese President Xi Jinping's private notebook during the US leader's recent state visit, according to a short video clip circulating online. The footage, said to have been taken during events in the Chinese capital this week, appears to show Donald Trump glancing down at a folder or pad of paper on a table while Xi steps away.

For context, Trump had just wrapped up two days of talks with Xi in Beijing that focused on trade, Taiwan, and the war involving Iran, before departing China on Friday afternoon local time. The visit was billed by both sides as a chance to stabilise a fraught relationship, with Trump praising what he called a 'very strong' personal rapport with Xi and hailing the trip as 'a very important moment in history.'

Against that heavily choreographed diplomatic backdrop, the viral clip has given online critics and supporters fresh material to argue over Trump's behaviour.

The short video, shared on X, shows Trump standing near a table, appearing to look at and briefly sift through a paper notebook or pad as Xi is out of shot. At one point, Senator Marco Rubio can be seen glancing towards Donald Trump, then quickly turning his head away, a reaction that eagle-eyed users have seized on as evidence that something improper was happening.

The content of the alleged notebook is unknown. There is no information in the clip about what the pages contained, who they belonged to, or when exactly the moment occurred.

IBTimes UK cannot independently verify the authenticity of the footage, the circumstances in which it was filmed, or whether it actually captures a private document belonging to Xi Jinping, so any claims based on the video should be taken with a grain of salt.

Donald Trump Video Sparks Fierce Online Dispute

The clip has nevertheless taken on a life of its own. As of publication, it has attracted around 1.2 million views on X and hundreds of comments, with users reading radically different meanings into the same few seconds of footage.

One commenter, speculating about a set-up, wrote that Xi 'left it to him on purpose to see what he would do, and now they already have his fingerprints.' Another used the video as a springboard for a sweeping personal attack on Donald Trump, calling him 'illiterate, and an imbecile' and claiming it 'wouldn't have mattered' what he saw. That same post pushed an unverified theory that Xi 'probably left it there just to elicit this reaction' and invoked long-running internet rumours about kompromat on Trump.

Not everyone agreed that Trump could have been reading Xi's notes even if he wanted to. One user pointed out that Xi 'surely writes in his language and I don't think Trump either reads it or speaks it,' dismissing the more alarmist interpretations and insisting 'the truth is that the lefties do invent.'

A different group of users went further and argued that the central premise of the viral claim is wrong. They highlighted what they said was the logo on the front of the notebook, arguing it matched the seal of the US presidency. 'This is a fake claim,' one user wrote, asserting that 'the notebook actually belongs to Trump himself — you can see him grab it before heading to the stage for a toast in the video.'

Those counterclaims are also unverified. The low resolution of the circulating clip makes any fine detail difficult to decipher, and there is no official confirmation of what document is being handled.

IBTimes UK has contacted representatives for Donald Trump for comment on the footage and the allegations made around it.

Diplomatic Optics And The Donald Trump–Xi Stagecraft

The online quarrel over a notebook stands in sharp contrast to the carefully controlled imagery that surrounded Donald Trump's Beijing trip.

During his visit, Trump and Xi held intensive meetings that touched on Taiwan, US arms sales to the island, the conflict involving Iran, and future trade and energy deals. Speaking aboard Air Force One as he left China, Trump said they had discussed Taiwan 'in great detail' and repeated his view that 'the last thing we need right now is a war that's 9,500 miles away,' but he declined to say publicly whether the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of conflict.

On Iran, Trump later told Fox News that Xi had offered to help and pledged not to provide Tehran with military equipment, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC that Washington had not explicitly asked China to resolve the conflict. A White House readout said the two sides agreed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and that Iran 'can never have a nuclear weapon.'

Trade promises were similarly hazy. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration expected China to buy 'double-digit billion' worth of American agricultural products each year over the next three years and claimed Beijing had 'reupped' licences for US beef exports. Trump announced that Xi had agreed to purchase 200 Boeing jets. Chinese officials, however, have yet to confirm the scale or specifics of those deals, instead speaking more generally about expanding cooperation.

What was clear was the emphasis on pomp and personal chemistry. Xi dispatched Vice President Han Zheng to meet Trump at the airport, a gesture the US president interpreted as a sign of respect. He was welcomed with military bands and schoolchildren at the Great Hall of the People and escorted through the historic Zhongnanhai leadership compound after Xi noted he was reciprocating Trump's earlier hospitality at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump, who is acutely aware of optics, appeared genuinely pleased. He remarked that he and Xi had been 'treated very well' and praised his counterpart as 'all business.' That tightly managed show of mutual respect is why many in Beijing and Washington will be more focused on whether any of the mooted agreements materialise than on a blurry, context-free video of Donald Trump standing next to a notebook.