Trump arrives in China for first time in nine years - Why visit matters
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
One of the most anticipated summits of the year is getting underway in Beijing, where US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss Iran, trade, and Taiwan, according to Bloomberg.
Air Force One landed at Beijing Capital International Airport on May 13 at around 8:00 p.m. local time.
Trump was welcomed by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, an honor guard, and hundreds of children waving flags. The main round of talks will begin the following day during Trump’s meeting with Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.
Who arrived in China with Trump?
A large business delegation accompanied Trump to China. It included executives from Tesla, Apple, Boeing, and Nvidia, among them Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Jensen Huang, who joined the delegation at the last moment. His participation drew particular attention to artificial intelligence and technology issues ahead of the summit.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth are also part of the delegation. For the US Defense Department, this marks the highest-level contact with China since 2018.
What will be discussed in Beijing?
The two sides are expected to discuss several key issues, ranging from trade barriers and rare-earth supplies to the war with Iran and tensions over Taiwan.
One of the central topics is expected to be China’s role in supporting Iran. Beijing remains the largest buyer of Iranian oil, while the United States has imposed sanctions in recent weeks on several Chinese companies over cooperation with Tehran.
According to US officials, expected topics of discussion include the revenues China provides to Iran, as well as possible weapons exports.
At the same time, Trump will try to advance economic agreements with China. This includes broader access for American companies to the Chinese market, the removal of some trade barriers, and the extension of the so-called trade truce reached last year.
Ahead of the visit, the US President said he wants to convince Xi Jinping to "open up" China to American business.
"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.
Another possible topic of discussion is the case of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was sentenced in China to 20 years in prison on charges of conspiracy and inciting subversion. Trump has already said he plans to raise the issue during his meeting with the Chinese leader.
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Trump’s official visit to China will last from May 13 to May 15.
Ahead of the trip, Trump told reporters he planned to have a "long talk" with Xi Jinping about the war with Iran, although he downplayed the importance of possible Chinese assistance in resolving the conflict.
At the same time, the US President stressed that trade between the two countries would be the main focus of the talks.
