US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing on Thursday for a high-stakes summit expected to focus on trade tensions, tariffs, and the ongoing Iran-related conflict.
President Xi hosted an official welcoming ceremony for Trump at the Great Hall of the People, marking a formal diplomatic reception during the visit.
Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening, where he was greeted at Beijing Capital International Airport by Vice President Han Zheng, with a military band and crowds of flag-waving supporters present.
The visit is the first official trip to China by a sitting US president since Trump’s earlier visit in 2017 during his previous term in office.
Key topics on the agenda include the Middle East conflict, tensions surrounding Taiwan, and long-standing trade disputes between the two major economies.
Trump is accompanied by senior officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, along with a large delegation of business leaders from major US corporations.
The delegation includes executives from companies such as Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, BlackRock, Boeing, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Qualcomm, highlighting the economic importance of the talks.
Members of Trump’s family, including Eric Trump and Lara Trump, are also part of the visiting delegation, while First Lady Melania Trump did not accompany him on this trip.
The summit comes amid heightened global tensions following the Iran conflict involving US and Israeli strikes, retaliations, and disruption in the Gulf region, although a fragile ceasefire is currently in place.
China has called for diplomatic dialogue to ease tensions, while the United States has accused Beijing of indirectly supporting Iran’s military and economic capabilities.
