May 14 – US President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing on the first trip to China by an American leader since in his own previous visit, during his first term in 2017.
He will hold two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, originally meant to be held in March but rescheduled after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
Why is Trump going to China?
The main focus of the talks is expected to be the current tense trade relationship between the two superpowers.
Trump said he would ask Xi to “open up” China’s economy to major tech companies.
He added that he also expected a “long talk” about Iran, though he insisted he did not need China’s help to end the conflict.
He said Xi had been “relatively good” on Iran, adding that it would be an “exciting trip” and “a lot of good things are going to happen”.
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How the Trump-Xi summit could set superpower relations for many years to come
Xi meanwhile is expected to press for an end to US arms sales to Taiwan, and an extension of the trade truce agreed in October that halted tariff escalation between the US and China.
Commentary in Chinese media also suggested Beijing was looking for a “better future” with the US, and a relationship that would “add more stability and certainty” to a turbulent world.
What will happen during the trip?
Trump arrived in Beijing on Air Force One on Wednesday evening local time, before the main part of the visit starts on Thursday.
The US president is expected to attend an arrival ceremony with Xi at the Great Hall of the People, before the two leaders hold bilateral talks.
A state banquet will be held later at the same venue.
On Friday, Trump will pay a visit to Zhongnanhai, a rarefied compound where China’s leaders live and work. The visit will feature a “friendship photo” and handshake with Xi.
After another bilateral meeting with Xi and a working lunch, Trump will return to the airport for a departure ceremony before heading back to the US.
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Who else is travelling?
Trump is being accompanied on the visit by CEOs of major US businesses and tech companies.
Among those joining the president on his official trip to Beijing are Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Tim Cook of Apple, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Larry Fink of BlackRock, as well as other executives from Meta, Visa, JP Morgan, Boeing, Cargill and more.
The late addition of Huang to the group is noteworthy as Nvidia’s advanced artificial intelligence (AI) chips are a major focus of the rivalry between the US and China.
He had not been on the original list but was personally invited by Trump, and was spotted boarding Air Force One during a stopover in Alaska.
What is the latest on tariffs?
The issue has receded somewhat since 2025, for much of which China and the US seemed on the verge of a trade war.
But the two sides will still have plenty to talk about, however, as a permanent resolution has remained elusive.
Trump is expected to push to increase Chinese purchase of goods from vital US industries, including soybeans and aircraft parts.
Beijing is coming from a position of strength, with record export levels, but it still needs the US consumer market.
Also, Xi is sure to pressure the US to drop a recently announced trade probe into unfair business practices.
What else will they discuss?
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Taiwan would be a topic of conversation at the summit, with a view to preventing the issue becoming a source of tension between the US and China.
China has also signalled that Taiwan is a priority in the talks. On Wednesday morning, a Chinese official reiterated Beijing’s opposition to US military ties with and sale of weapons to Taiwan.
Despite Trump’s insistence that he did not need China’s help with ending the conflict with Iran, he is widely expected to encourage Beijing to convince Tehran to make a deal.
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Trump’s China visit set to test fragile truce
China is eager for an end to the war and is trying to step in quietly as a peacemaker, reports BBC China correspondent Laura Bicker, as the conflict is causing pain to a sluggish Chinese economy heavily reliant on exports.
Another major issue for the two superpowers is artificial intelligence, where rivalry has been compared to a nuclear arms race and both sides are seeking channels of communication to avoid conflict.
A deal could be done, according to BBC North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher, with China offering rare earths in return for high-end computer chips for programming the brains of its new robots.
