US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with tensions over Iran, trade, Taiwan and technology expected to dominate talks between the rival superpowers.
Trump landed at Beijing Capital International Airport aboard Air Force One on Wednesday evening, beginning the first visit to China by a sitting US president in nearly a decade.
The visit, originally expected in March, was delayed because of the conflict in the Middle East.
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Trump and Xi are scheduled to hold talks at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday, followed by a state banquet. Further meetings and a working lunch are planned for Friday before Trump returns to Washington.
Trade is expected to be a major focus of the visit after sweeping US tariffs last year triggered retaliatory levies from China that exceeded 100% on some goods. The two sides are expected to discuss extending the one-year tariff truce reached during the leaders’ meeting in South Korea last October.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla chief Elon Musk were among the business leaders travelling with the US delegation, underscoring the growing importance of technology and artificial intelligence in US-China ties.
The trip also comes amid ongoing US restrictions on exports of advanced semiconductor technology to China.
Trump said he would discuss US arms sales to Taiwan with Xi, an issue that remains highly sensitive for Beijing, which claims the self-ruled island as its territory.
Iran is also expected to feature prominently in the talks. China remains a major buyer of Iranian oil despite US sanctions, though Trump said before departing Washington that he did not believe the United States needed China’s help on Iran.
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China’s foreign ministry said Beijing welcomed Trump’s visit and was prepared to work with Washington to “expand cooperation and manage differences”.
Security was visibly tightened across Beijing ahead of the summit, with increased police deployment and identity checks reported in parts of the city.
(With inputs from AFP)
