Gavin Newsom was granted a surprise audience with China's leader Xi Jinping when he visited Beijing on Wednesday after being warmly welcomed by other senior leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. Newsom, the Democratic California governor, said his meeting with Xi had been 'remarkably positive'. The 45-minute meeting took place in the palatial Great Hall of the People. U.S. media were physically blocked from Newsom's meeting with Xi, while Chinese journalists were allowed in, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Biden and Xi are expected to meet at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco in November