BEIJING: US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at managing rising tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump landed in Beijing aboard Air Force One after a long flight from Washington, marking the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade.
Trump was welcomed by Chinese dignitaries, a tightly choreographed formation of military honour guard and dozens of Chinese students waving US and Chinese flags as he disembarked Air Force One in the waning hours of twilight on Wednesday.
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.
.@POTUS proceeds down the red carpet in Beijing — briefly giving his signature fist pump to the assembled Military Honor Guard and Chinese youth flag wavers pic.twitter.com/aDBQdDjsx8
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 13, 2026
This is the first US presidential visit to China in almost nine years and Trump’s second since November 2017.
Trump and Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning bilateral relations and world peace and development, according to China’s foreign ministry.
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.
“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic,” he said in a post on Truth Social, referring to the CEO delegation. “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”.
Trump’s two days of meetings will include a grand reception at The Great Hall of the People, a tour of UNESCO heritage site Temple of Heaven and a state banquet.
Apart from trade, the talks will cover a host of sensitive subjects from the Iran war to US arms sales to Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China.
Trump is widely expected to encourage China to convince Tehran to make a deal with Washington to end the conflict, though he has said he did not think he would need its help.
China reiterated on Wednesday its strong opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, with the status of a $14-billion package awaiting Trump’s approval still unclear.
Before departing Washington, Trump said he expected a “long talk” with Xi regarding Iran and regional stability, though he downplayed disagreements with Beijing on the issue.
The US president appeared heavily focused on economic and technology cooperation, with senior business figures including Elon Musk and Jensen Huang travelling aboard the presidential aircraft.
Trump also signalled interest in easing business barriers with China, saying he would ask Xi to “open up” the Chinese market further.
The two leaders are scheduled to hold formal talks on Thursday at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, followed by a state banquet.
Trade issues are expected to remain central to the summit after years of tariff disputes and export restrictions, particularly involving advanced semiconductor technology and rare earth minerals.
The visit is also being closely watched for any signs of changes in US policy toward Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
Chinese officials said Beijing was prepared to “expand cooperation and manage differences” with Washington.
