Upon Arrival in Beijing, Trump to Meet Xi Jinping to Discuss Iran and Trade
Citing AFP, Trump arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport aboard Air Force One on Wednesday (13/5/2026) local time. Clenching his fist, Trump descended the aircraft’s stairs.
This marks his first visit to China since 2017 and the first by a US president to the Bamboo Curtain nation in nearly a decade. Accompanying Trump on the trip are Tesla boss Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Their presence is seen as a strong symbol of potential business agreements between the two countries with the world’s largest economies. Trump was greeted with a bouquet of flowers and walked on a red carpet lined with around 300 young Chinese people in white uniforms.
“Welcome,” the young Chinese greeted while waving small Chinese and US flags.
En route to Beijing, Trump posted on social media that he would ask President Xi, whom he called an extraordinary leader, to open up China so that brilliant people could demonstrate their talents.
Jensen Huang’s inclusion in Trump’s entourage was reportedly sudden, joining during a stopover in Alaska. Currently, China is banned from purchasing advanced artificial intelligence chips produced by Nvidia under US national security rules.
Several major issues loom over the meeting between the two leaders, from the Iran war, trade, to Taiwan. The previous Trump-Xi meeting had been delayed since March due to the war involving the United States and Israel in the Middle East.
Trump is expected to receive a grand welcome from the Chinese government during the state visit. He and Xi are scheduled to hold official talks at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday (14/5) at 10:00 local time.
In addition to bilateral agendas, Trump is also scheduled to visit the Temple of Heaven, a World Heritage site where ancient Chinese emperors once prayed for bountiful harvests. The two leaders will also attend a state dinner before proceeding to tea and lunch on Friday (15/5).
Before leaving the White House, Trump said he expected to have “long talks” with Xi regarding the joint US-Israel war against Iran. He alluded to China’s position as Iran’s main oil buyer under US sanctions.
However, Trump sought to downplay any impression of tension with Beijing over the issue.
“I don’t think we need any help regarding Iran. From China and that Xi has been quite good on this,” Trump told reporters.
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry stated that it welcomes Trump’s visit.
“China is ready to work with the United States… to expand cooperation and manage differences,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said on Wednesday.
On the other hand, Beijing is reportedly increasingly urging peace in the Middle East region. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday (13/5) was reported to have asked the Pakistani Foreign Minister to step up mediation efforts between Iran and the United States.