Trump Returns to Beijing for Talks with Xi amid Stronger China

China's leader Xi Jinping will host U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing this week. Trump last visited in 2017, when hosts treated him to dinner inside the Forbidden City, an honor no previous American president received.

This week's welcome includes a visit to Zhongnanhai, the leadership compound. Talks cover trade, technology, Taiwan and the new flashpoint of Iran.

China has grown stronger and more assertive since 2017. Xi, in his third term, drives "new productive forces" with major spending on renewable energy, robotics and artificial intelligence.

Signs of this future appear outside central Beijing. Solar and wind farms cover northern landscapes. Factories in the south use more automation, while megacities like Chongqing draw influencers.

State funds have turned Chongqing, a southwestern manufacturing center, into a tech and trade hub with a trendy image. In 2017, China sought to match U.S. status, said Ali Wyne, a senior research and advocacy adviser on U.S.-China relations at International Crisis Group. "The Chinese delegation expended an enormous amount of diplomatic effort trying to convey that President Xi was President Trump's geopolitical equal," Wyne said. "This time around that assertion isn't necessary."

Washington calls China a "near-peer," Wyne added. He described Beijing as "arguably the most powerful competitor that the United States has confronted in its history."

Trump carries the nickname Chuan Jianguo, or "Trump the nation builder," in China. Many online say his policies aided China's rise by hurting U.S. influence.

"He doesn't care about the consequences at all," said a middle-aged man vacationing in Chongqing. "He should know that we share the same world. It is a global village. He should not always put America first." He declined to give his name amid crowds viewing the neon skyline.

"China has been making forward-looking strategies for decades," he added as the cyberpunk city lit up.

Chongqing rises from steep mountains, with twisting roads, subways under buildings and overlapping structures. Travel writers call it China's "8D" city. Tourists snap photos of the vertical skyline over the Yangtze River.

The city shows Beijing's push against U.S. power. China offers visa-free entry to foreigners, drawing two million visitors last year, including to Chongqing with Beijing and Shanghai.

Growth came at a cost. Construction ranked among modern history's largest. The local government, serving over 30 million people, carries heavy debt amid a slow economy and property woes.

Older areas hold workers sorting packages or selling produce for daily wages. U.S. tariffs and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran add strain as house prices drop, unemployment climbs and spending stays low.

The Chinese Communist Party keeps tight control. Locals avoid politics but have words for Trump.

"I want to tell Donald Trump to stop stirring things up," said a nail technician hit by global downturn from the Middle East crisis.

Some youth admire the U.S. "When I think about the US, I think about liberty and people there can find their personality and discover their potential," said a fashion student on vacation. "It's a country full of creativity and wisdom and many Chinese young people would like to receive an education there."

Strained ties make that harder, but Chinese engineers now drive homegrown innovation.

In a Chongqing lab, children watched robot fish and humanoid bots doing kung fu or dances. The teacher had them say, "This robot can dance!"

China leads in factory robots and plans $400 billion in robotics investment this year. Chongqing eyes Silicon Valley status but needs U.S. AI chips from Nvidia for advanced models.

The Biden administration restricted such chips in 2022. Trump eased rules last year, allowing some sales but not the top models.

As rivalry grows, analysts warn AI risks like hacking health systems or nuclear codes. Competition shapes talks. China cut U.S. exports by 20 percent recently; America ranks third behind Southeast Asia and the European Union.

Last year's tariffs hit, but China stood firm. When Trump led in 2024, officials attended Washington think tanks where he attacked trade practices.

Lucia Chen sells electric vehicles for Sahiyoo in Chongqing, China's top car-making city. "We don't rely on the US market," she said. Xi pushed $5 billion rail lines to Europe via Central Asia, aiding her sales.

"I'm quite optimistic about the future development of Chongqing's EV industry," Chen said during a factory tour. "My family and friends have all made the switch from fuel cars to EV. Because of the Iran war, petrol prices have risen a lot and many buyers are considering an EV for the first time."

Trump seeks China's help to end the Middle East war via Tehran. He boasts of his Xi ties and wants China to buy more U.S. goods.

For China, the visit boosts Xi's open image. "I feel China is getting more and more connected to the world, more integrated with the international community," said a Chongqing photographer. "It was very difficult for me to see people with blonde hair like you in the past - but now I meet lots of foreigners. We are all like one family."

Trump's "America First" shook allies with tariffs. Beijing hosted leaders from the UK, Canada and Germany.

Surveillance and media controls persist, with no tolerance for dissent. Chongqing's changes signal success or warning for China and Trump.