In brief
- Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit, the first trip by a US president to China in nearly a decade.
- The war in the Middle East, trade and Taiwan are on the agenda for the summit.
President Donald Trump has landed in Beijing, kicking off a pivotal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting aims to alleviate the significant tensions between these global giants.
Upon his arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport on Wednesday night, Trump gave a fist pump as he stepped off Air Force One, marking the first visit by a U.S. president to China in almost ten years.
Accompanying Trump were influential business leaders like Tesla’s Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, representing the potential for significant business agreements between the world’s largest economies.
As Trump was welcomed, he received a bouquet of flowers and walked down a red carpet flanked by 300 Chinese youths. Dressed in white uniforms, they chanted “welcome” and waved Chinese and U.S. flags in harmony.
During his flight to Beijing, Trump took to social media, expressing his intent to urge President Xi, whom he described as a leader of remarkable distinction, to “open up” China to allow talented individuals to thrive.
Nvidia’s Huang was a surprise late addition to the trip, joining the plane at a stopover in Alaska. China is currently banned under US national security rules from buying the cutting-edge AI chips that the company produces.
But Iran, trade and Taiwan loom over the highly anticipated meeting, which Trump had already delayed from March because of the war the United States and Israel started in the Middle East.
China ‘welcomes’ Trump visit
Visiting China for the first time since 2017 during his previous term, Trump is expected to receive a lavish welcome from Chinese authorities.
Trump and Xi will hold talks at 10am on Thursday (12pm AEST) in Beijing’s opulent Great Hall of the People.
The US president will also visit the historic Temple of Heaven, a world heritage site where China’s emperors once prayed for a good harvest.
The leaders will then enjoy a state banquet in the evening.
On Friday, they are set to have tea and a working lunch before Trump heads home.
As he departed the White House, Trump said he expected a “long talk” with Xi about the joint US-Israeli war on Iran, which sells most of its US-sanctioned oil to China.
But he also downplayed disagreements, telling reporters that “I don’t think we need any help with Iran” from China and that Xi had been “relatively good” on the topic.
The Chinese foreign ministry said Wednesday it “welcomes” Trump’s visit and that “China stands ready to work with the United States … to expand cooperation and manage differences”.
Yet Beijing is growing impatient for peace, with foreign minister Wang Yi urging his Pakistani counterpart on Tuesday to step up mediation efforts between Iran and the United States.
‘Big deal’
The long-simmering trade war between the two countries will also be top of the agenda, after Trump’s sweeping tariffs last year triggered tit-for-tat levies that exceeded 100 percent.
Trump and Xi are set to discuss extending a one-year tariff truce, which the two leaders reached during their last meeting in South Korea in October, although a deal is far from certain.
China’s controls on rare earth and agriculture exports are also expected to be on the menu.
The tense buildup to the summit was already evident on the streets of Beijing, with police monitoring major intersections and checking passengers’ ID cards on the metro.
“It’s definitely a big deal,” said Wen Wen, a 24-year-old woman travelling from the eastern city of Nanjing, when asked about Trump’s visit.
Trump has repeatedly touted a strong personal relationship with Xi, which he insisted on Monday would prevent a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the self-ruled democracy claimed by Beijing.
While Trump said on Monday he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, the move marks a departure from historic US insistence that it will not consult Beijing on its support to the island.
His trip will be closely scrutinised by Taiwan and Asian allies for any sign of weakening US support.
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