Trump lands in China ahead of high-stakes summit with Xi
The Iran war is expected to dominate talks between the two leaders over the next two days, with discussions on US arms sales to Taiwan, mutual trade and artificial intelligence also expected.
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United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday (May 13) landed in Beijing ahead of a high-stakes summit as he seeks to ramp up trade despite potential friction over Iran and Taiwan.
Trump touched down on Air Force One at Beijing Capital International Airport at 7.50pm (11.50am GMT) after a long flight from Washington.
He was welcomed by Chinese dignitaries, a tightly choreographed military honour guard formation and dozens of Chinese students waving US and Chinese flags as he disembarked from the aircraft.
Pausing midway down the red carpet as the students chanted "welcome, welcome, warm welcome" in Mandarin, he punched the air and smiled broadly before departing in his limousine.
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His arrival marks the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, and will be his first visit since 2017.
In an early sign of how Beijing views Trump’s visit, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng was at the airport to receive the US president.
Also featuring Chinese ambassador to the US Xie Feng and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, China's airport welcome party marked a break from recent practice of sending lower-ranking officials such as state councillors to receive visiting US presidents - including Trump himself during his 2017 state visit.
At the time, he and First Lady Melania Trump were received at the airport by then State Councillor Yang Jiechi. Then Chinese ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai was also present.
Han also attended Trump’s inauguration in Washington in January 2025 as Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative.
The Iran war is expected to dominate the agenda for the summit between Trump and Xi, analysts said.
Leaving Washington on Tuesday on a trip that was delayed by his war, Trump said he expected a "long talk" with Xi about Iran, which relies on China as the top customer for its US-sanctioned oil.
But he also played down disagreements on Iran, saying that Xi has been "relatively good, to be honest with you".
"I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other. We'll win it peacefully or otherwise," Trump told reporters as he left the White House.
This week's trip will involve talks with Xi on Thursday and Friday, during a packed itinerary that includes a state banquet and tea reception.
Scheduled talks are expected to include discussions on US arms sales to Taiwan, mutual trade and investment, as well as artificial intelligence and its associated risks.
On Tuesday, Trump said in a post on Truth Social he would ask Xi to "open up" China to US business when the two leaders meet.
"I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to 'open up' China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People's Republic to an even higher level!" Trump wrote on social media, referring to US business CEOs accompanying him on the trip.
"I will make that my very first request."
Asked about Trump's post, Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said Beijing stands ready to "expand cooperation, manage differences and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world".
Dozens of US chief executives have joined Trump on his visit to China, including Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Tesla's Elon Musk and Apple's Tim Cook.
The CEOs accompanying Trump are drawn mainly from companies seeking to resolve business issues with China, such as Nvidia, which has struggled to get regulatory permission to sell its powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips there.
BESSENT PREPS IN SOUTH KOREA
While Trump rubbed shoulders with Huang and Elon Musk aboard Air Force One, Bessent held his latest round of trade negotiations with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at a reception room at South Korea's Incheon airport.
A US official said the talks ran about three hours. China's official Xinhua news agency described them as "candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges", but officials did not offer any detailed summary.
Trade ties between Beijing and Washington have been fraught in recent years. The two sides are eager to maintain a truce struck last October in which Trump suspended triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods and Xi backed away from choking global supplies of rare earths, vital in making items from electric cars to weapons.
They are also expected to discuss forums to support mutual trade and investment and dialogue on AI issues, while Washington looks to sell Boeing airplanes, farm goods and energy to China to cut a trade deficit that has long irked Trump, US officials have said.
Beijing, for its part, wants the US to ease curbs on exports of chipmaking equipment and advanced semiconductors.
Trump enters the talks with a weakened hand.
Courts have hemmed in his ability to levy tariffs at will on exports from China and other countries.
The Iran war has also boosted inflation at home and escalated the risk that Trump's Republican Party will lose control of one or both legislative branches in November's midterm elections.
Though the Chinese economy has faltered, Xi does not face comparable economic or political pressure.
"The Trump administration needs this meeting more than China does, as it needs to show to American voters that deals are signed, money is made," said Liu Qian, founder and CEO of Wusawa Advisory, a Beijing-based geopolitical advisory firm.
While Trump has lauded his personal rapport with Xi and respect for China, several Beijing residents told Reuters they viewed his visit with a mixture of hope and suspicion.
"I don't know if he's genuinely sincere," Lou Huilian, a 44-year-old who works in the oil trade said outside a metro station as she headed to work on Wednesday.
"But speaking as a Chinese person, and as someone working in trade, I just hope some good policies can come out of this."
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