It was a day heavy with symbolism in Beijing, marked by choreographed ceremonies and carefully staged optics, but there was no sweeping trade breakthrough or major business agreements, BBC reported. 

US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday for more than two hours of talks, describing the US-China relationship as "the world's most consequential economic relationship".

The White House described the meeting as "highly productive". Trump, speaking at the Great Hall of the People, called it potentially "the biggest summit ever".