BEIJING — President Trump touched down in China’s capital Wednesday evening ahead of a crucial summit with Xi Jinping, after promising to call on the Asian power to “open up” to American business.
The president was given a red-carpet welcome at Beijing Capital International Airport by US Ambassador to China David Perdue; Xi’s vice president, Han Zheng; China’s Ambassador to Washington Xie Feng; and Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu.
The official party was accompanied by a military band and honor guard, as well as 300 youths singing a welcome message and waving American and Chinese flags in time to the band’s music.
Follow The Post’s live coverage of President Trump and national politics for the latest news and analysis
Trump, who appeared visibly pleased with the pomp and circumstance surrounding his arrival, was followed off the plane by his son Eric, daughter-in-law Lara, SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
Thursday will mark the first full day of Trump’s visit and feature a visit to Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, followed by a bilateral meeting with Xi and a state dinner. Trump will meet with his Chinese counterpart again on Friday before flying back to Washington.
The trip marks the first time a US president has set foot on Chinese soil since 2017, though Trump and Xi previously met in person this past October on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.
Trump claimed to reporters Tuesday that Xi is expected to make a reciprocal visit to the US “toward the end of the year.”
The visit comes as the two global superpowers have sought to iron out tensions over recent years. Under the Biden administration, the world’s two largest economies sought to foster “managed competition.”
Last year, Trump slapped massive tariffs on China, which fluctuated frequently, and at one point soared into triple digits. During that time, the two economic giants traded barbs with China imposing restrictions on rare earth exports and the US stopping advanced chip sales that Beijing could use to give it a key boost in the artificial intelligence race.
US investment in China also plunged dramatically.
Despite all that, Trump has frequently touted his relationship with Xi, and the two countries have made progress on a trade framework aimed at cooling down tensions.
Ahead of landing in Beijing, Trump touted the number of CEOs accompanying the American delegation, including “Jensen, Elon, Tim Apple [Apple boss Tim Cook], Larry Fink, Stephen Schwarzmann, Kelly Ortberg (Boeing), Brian Sikes (Cargill), Jane Fraser (Citi), Larry Culp (GE Aerospace), David Solomon (Goldman Sachs), Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron), Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm), and many others.”
“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to “open up” China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level!” the president wrote on Truth Social. “In fact, I promise, that when we are together, which will be in a matter of hours, I will make that my very first request. I have never seen or heard of any idea that would be more beneficial to our incredible Countries!”
Trump’s visit to China was postponed from early April due to the ongoing war with Iran. Both countries are observing a tenuous cease-fire, which has been in effect since April 8.
Lawmakers like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have accused China of propping up Iran by providing critical intelligence, materiel, and funding through oil purchases.
However, Trump has largely dismissed those concerns, telling reporters Tuesday of Xi: “I think he’s been relatively good [on Iran] to be honest with you.”
Also on the president’s agenda for this week’s visit is artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, and human rights — including the imprisonment of tycoon Jimmy Lai, who founded a pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, and Pastor Ezra Jin, a pastor with American family members who was also arrested.
Meanwhile, Xi is expected to push Trump to tone down US support for Taiwan, a longstanding flashpoint in the US-China relationship.
