President Donald Trump met China's leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for a high-stakes summit that packed negotiations on global conflict, international trade, and artificial intelligence into just over 24 hours. Trump arrived at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday morning for an opening ceremony followed by an hour of face-to-face talks with Xi.
Opening Ceremony and Remarks
Rows of uniformed officers lined the red carpet as Xi and Trump walked side by side to a lectern for a welcome salute, cheered by primary schoolchildren waving US and Chinese flags. Trump gave a double thumbs-up, and Xi waved. The ceremony ended with a performance by China's military marching band before the leaders entered the national legislature for bilateral talks.
In opening remarks, Xi noted that 2026 marks 250 years of US independence and emphasized that stability in US-China relations is necessary for the world. Trump said he and Xi had "known each other for a long time" and called Xi a "great leader." "I say to everybody you're a great leader. Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it's true," Trump told Xi.
Key Issues Discussed
The Chinese government said the two leaders discussed the Middle East war, the Ukraine conflict, and Korean peninsula issues during two hours of talks. Xi told Trump that the Taiwan question is "the most important issue in China-US relations," according to China's foreign ministry. Xi warned that mishandling the issue could lead to "clashes and even conflicts," echoing recent rhetoric from Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Trump's February strikes against Iran, which killed Iranian leadership and disrupted global energy supplies, cast a shadow over talks intended to focus on a trade deal between the world's two largest economies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Air Force One that the US would push Beijing to help on the Iran crisis. "We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they're doing now in the Persian Gulf," Rubio told Fox News. He called China "both our top political challenge geopolitically, and also the most important relationship for us to manage."
Beijing's Goals
Beijing hopes to recalibrate US-China ties and set a foundation for a stable, predictable trade relationship. Ambassador Xie Feng wrote in the CCP's official newspaper that "against the backdrop of escalating international instability, the strategic significance of Sino-US relations is even more prominent." He said non-interaction between the superpowers was "not an option."
It is unclear what concrete outcomes will be achieved. The Trump administration has proposed a "board of trade" with China to address commercial differences. Beijing wants Trump to soften US support for Taiwan through rhetoric or reduced arms sales, though many in Beijing concede this is unlikely.
Schedule and Atmosphere
Despite the trip lasting barely two days, Xi and Trump have ample time for interaction, the first of up to four presidential meetings expected this year. In the afternoon, the two leaders will tour Beijing's Temple of Heaven, a Ming dynasty religious complex visited by Henry Kissinger and Gerald Ford. On Trump's 2017 visit, he was the first foreign leader to dine inside the Forbidden City.
Unlike 2017, Beijing made less effort to ensure blue skies for Trump's arrival. Factories were ordered to halt production and polluting cars were banned ahead of his previous visit. This year, no such measures were taken. The air quality index in Beijing is over 150, well above WHO guidelines, shrouding the city in grey smog. China's fight against air pollution has slowed, though PM2.5 levels dropped below 30 for the first time last year. Heavily polluted skies remain common, and a US presidential visit no longer prompts clearing efforts.
Additional research by Yu-chen Li.
