Claim: The reel shows President Donald Trump leaning over a table and opening a notebook, after which Chinese Leader Xi Jinping walks away.
Fact: This claim is false. The notebook in question belongs to President Trump.
On 18 May 2026, Facebook user Atta Muhammad Kaloi posted a viral news video with the caption:
‘رمپ کی انتہائی شرمناک حرکت کیمرے میں ریکارڈ ۔۔ جیسے ہی چینی صدر خطاب کیلئے اُٹھے!امریکی صدر نے شی جن پنگ کی نوٹ بک کو کھولا مگر چائنیز زبان سمجھ نہ پائے شرمندگی سے نوٹ بک فوری بند کر دی! ویڈیووائرل’
[Translation: The most embarrassing act of the rump was recorded on camera.
As soon as the Chinese president got up to speak! The US president opened Xi Jinping’s notebook but could not understand the Chinese language
He immediately closed the notebook out of embarrassment! Video viral ]
The caption was with the news clipping that also stated similar as seen below: 
[Translation: Trump’s most embarrassing move caught on camera.
As soon as the Chinese president got up to speak!
The US president opened Xi Jinping’s notebook but couldn’t understand Chinese.
Everyone’s most embarrassing act was recorded on camera… Immediately closed the notebook out of embarrassment! Video goes viral]
US-China Summit 2026
US President Donald Trump made a two day state visit to China on 14 and 15 May 2026 including formal meetings in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, alongside senior officials from both governments.
The discussions reportedly focused on several key areas of strategic importance, including US and China trade relations, tariff disputes, technology competition, and regional security concerns such as Taiwan, as well as the need to stabilize bilateral relations, as power dynamics have shifted since the US-Iran war started, causing damage to China’s economy.
While the meetings were described by both governments as constructive, and as “successful,” only a few deals were confirmed. The visit was broadly framed as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilise relations amid increasing strategic stability between the two countries.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check investigates this claim by going over verified press coverage of the summit between the two countries. As a reverse image was not substantial enough to debunk this claim as false, a side by side comparison was done of the folder Trump was seen opening.
The media outlet used for this comparison is The White House, the official YouTube account that live streamed the 14 May banquet. Both photos as seen below show a black folder with a golden seal printed on the front, and the same background. This folder upon investigation is in fact The White House Presidential Folder, and the golden stamp seen in the blurry photo is the US seal.
Soch Fact Check verified the claim by referring to official imagery published on the White House website, where an identical black folder with the Presidential Seal can be seen. This matches the folder appearing in both the Facebook post and the official video, indicating that the item shown is consistent with authentic White House briefing materials.
Screenshot from Facebook post to show the folder with the US presidential seal
Screenshot from The White House live coverage of 14 May Banquet
Official picture of The White House Presidential Folder
Furthermore, this folder has been used by US President Donald Trump in a press briefing in the past. Hence, it can be concluded that the notebook belongs to Trump and not Xi Jinping
President Donald Trump addresses members of the media
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the claim circulating the most on Facebook. The reason for a lot of interaction on this post can be due to Pakistan and China’s political relationship, and Pakistan’s new role as mediator with the United States.
Moreover, the post was circulated in a group with 134K members whose engagement grew due to the timing of this visit.
Conclusion: Soch Fact Check has verified that this claim is misleading. The notebook in question belongs to Trump, and therefore he wasn’t looking at Xi Jinping’s notebook..
To appeal against our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com
