Trump Flies to China to Meet Xi Jinping, First in a Decade

US President Donald Trump has flown to China for an official state visit to meet directly with President Xi Jinping. This marks the first visit by a US President to China in the past decade.

The visit aims to enhance trade relations between the two countries, amid potential frictions related to Taiwan and Iran.

Trump, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (13/5/2026), departed Washington DC on Tuesday (12/5) US time and is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday (13/5) local time. The visit, originally scheduled for March, was postponed due to the war raging against Iran.

Before departing, Trump stated that he expects “long talks” with Xi about Iran, which relies on China as its main customer for sanctioned oil.

However, Trump also sought to downplay differences over Iran, saying that Xi has been “relatively good”.

“I think we don’t need any help regarding Iran. We will win it one way or another. We will win it peacefully or otherwise,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House.

Trump’s state visit – the first since his last trip to Beijing in 2017 – will involve key discussions with Xi on Thursday (14/5) and Friday (15/5) local time, during a packed schedule that includes a state dinner and a tea reception.

Trump said on Monday (11/5) that he will discuss US arms sales to Taiwan with Xi, a country with its own democratic government claimed by Beijing. This marks a shift from the historic US assertion that it would not consult China regarding its support for Taiwan.

China’s control over rare earth exports and turbulent trade relations are also expected to be topics of discussion between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies.

During his visit to China, according to the White House, Trump is accompanied by a large number of top US business executives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook.