On the first day of the summit in Beijing, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed admiration for Chinese President Xi Jinping, stating it was an honor to be his friend. Xi responded by emphasizing that the two countries should act as partners rather than rivals. The meeting began with a handshake lasting over 10 seconds, a contrast to Trump's earlier expectation of a warm embrace. Xi drew attention to the 'Thucydides Trap', a concept suggesting that rising powers can lead to conflict with established ones, and posed the question of whether the U.S. and China could avoid this fate. Tensions flared on the sidelines as U.S. media clashed with Chinese security personnel, resulting in delays for reporters at the Temple of Heaven. Meanwhile, Chinese social media users reacted with humor, creating memes and discussing the presence of prominent business figures like Elon Musk and Jensen Huang, which garnered significant attention.