Trump gets red-carpet welcome in Beijing

Unrivalled summit

Don, Xi to discuss trade, Iran war today; top US CEOs accompany prez to boost ties, ease export tensions

PTI

Beijing 

US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a crucial three-day state visit, his second in nine years, to reset trade relations and address the escalating Iran war. Trump was received at the airport by Vice President Han Zheng and a military band, marking the start of a high-profile diplomatic mission.

The visit comes as the US seeks to end tariff frictions affecting over $525 billion in exports. Several leading American CEOs, including Elon Musk of Tesla, Tim Cook of Apple, Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, Kelly Ortberg of Boeing and Jane Fraser of Citigroup, are accompanying Trump to Beijing to boost business cooperation and ease trade tensions between the world’s top economies.

Apple has recently reclaimed the top spot in China’s smartphone market with a 28% surge in shipments, while Tesla reported a 36% year-over-year sales increase for its China-made vehicles. A new Board of Trade is expected to be established to mediate future commercial differences.

The summit's geopolitical agenda is dominated by the US-Israeli-Iran conflict. China, heavily reliant on Iranian oil, has expressed increasing anxiety over the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump and President Xi Jinping will hold their seventh face-to-face meeting on Thursday, followed by a bilateral lunch on Friday. Beyond trade and West Asia, the leaders will navigate sensitive topics including Taiwan, AI technology and rare earth supply chains. 

Ahead of the trip, Trump noted that trade would be his primary focus, including deals for American food and aircraft. Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly confirmed that the US plans to host Xi for a reciprocal visit later this year. This visit represents a major effort to implement a consensus between the world's two largest economies and steer their relationship away from “hidden dangers”.