BEIJING, China: President Donald Trump and an entourage that included Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Elon Musk landed in Beijing to a lavish welcome on May 13, at the start of their two-day summit.
Trump is trying to get some economic successes during the first visit by a U.S. president to China in almost ten years. He also wants to keep a fragile trade agreement going to improve his public image, which the war with Iran has hurt.
When he arrived in China in the evening, he was welcomed with a formal ceremony. Chinese officials, a military honor guard, and many students waving U.S. and Chinese flags greeted him as he got off Air Force One. As the students chanted "welcome" in Mandarin, Trump paused on the red carpet, smiled, and raised his fist before leaving in his car.
Many business leaders joined Trump on the trip, especially from companies seeking to resolve issues with China. For example, Nvidia has had trouble getting permission to sell its advanced AI chips there. Trump even invited Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, to join at the last minute, and he was seen boarding the plane during a stop in Alaska.
Trump said he plans to ask Chinese President Xi Jinping to open up China's market so these companies can do more business there. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson responded that China is ready to increase cooperation, handle differences, and bring more stability to the world.
Before Trump's arrival, his trade negotiator Scott Bessent held three hours of talks with Chinese officials in South Korea. Chinese media described the talks as honest and useful but provided few details.
During his two-day visit, Trump will attend a grand event at the Great Hall of the People, visit the historic Temple of Heaven, and attend a state banquet.
In addition to trade, discussions will also include sensitive issues such as the war in Iran and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Trump is expected to ask China to help persuade Iran to reach a deal with the U.S., although he said he may not need their help.
China again strongly opposed U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, and it is still unclear whether Trump will approve a US$14 billion arms package. The U.S. is legally required to help Taiwan defend itself, even though the U.S. does not have official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.
