Trump Arrives in Beijing for Talks with Xi on Trade, Iran and Taiwan

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening local time on Air Force One. The visit marks the first trip to China by an American leader since his own during his first term in 2017.

Trump will hold two days of talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meetings were originally set for March but rescheduled after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran.

The main focus will be the tense trade relationship between the two countries. Trump said he would ask Xi to open up China's economy to major tech companies. He added that he expected a long talk about Iran, though he insisted he did not need China's help to end the conflict.

Trump said Xi had been relatively good on Iran. He called the trip exciting and said a lot of good things are going to happen.

Xi is expected to press for an end to US arms sales to Taiwan and an extension of the October trade truce that halted tariff escalation. Chinese media commentary suggested Beijing seeks a better future with the US and a relationship that adds more stability and certainty to a turbulent world.

On Thursday, Trump will attend an arrival ceremony with Xi at the Great Hall of the People before bilateral talks. A state banquet will follow at the same venue.

Trump will visit Zhongnanhai on Friday, the compound where China's leaders live and work. The stop includes a friendship photo and handshake with Xi, another bilateral meeting and a working lunch. He will then head to the airport for a departure ceremony before returning to the US.

CEOs from major US businesses and tech companies are traveling with Trump. They include Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Apple's Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX's Elon Musk, BlackRock's Larry Fink, and executives from Meta, Visa, JP Morgan, Boeing and Cargill.

Huang's late addition stands out. Nvidia's advanced AI chips are central to US-China rivalry. He was not on the original list but received a personal invitation from Trump and boarded Air Force One during an Alaska stopover.

Tariff issues have eased since 2025, when the two sides appeared headed for trade war. A permanent resolution remains out of reach. Trump plans to push for more Chinese purchases of US goods like soybeans and aircraft parts.

Beijing holds strong export records but relies on the US consumer market. Xi will likely press the US to drop a recent trade probe into unfair business practices.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that Taiwan would come up at the summit to avoid it becoming a tension point. A Chinese official reiterated Wednesday that Beijing opposes US military ties and arms sales to Taiwan.

Trump is expected to urge Beijing to convince Tehran to make a deal on Iran despite his comments. China wants the war to end and is positioning itself quietly as a peacemaker, according to BBC China correspondent Laura Bicker. The conflict hurts China's sluggish export-dependent economy.