The White House has shared images of Xi Jinping that most Chinese don't see at home

Xi Jinping is not known for his easy smiles.

China's most powerful Communist leader in decades has built a reputation reinforced by state media during his 12-year rule as a serious and steady hand.

But images released by the White House show a different side of Xi – and one not apparent in images published at home.

Xi attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, where he met US President Donald Trump for a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base in Busan.

All eyes were on how the leaders of the world's two biggest economies would sort out their differences on a range of topics from soybeans and fentanyl to rare earth minerals and high-end computer chips.

But aside from the hard-hitting diplomacy, photographs released by the White House captured a rare cand