US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping as Washington seeks trade concessions, support for the illegal war against Iran and progress on technology disputes between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump travelled to China with a delegation of senior business leaders, including Nvidia chief Jensen Huang, Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, Apple chief Tim Cook, BlackRock chairman Larry Fink and executives from Boeing, Visa, Goldman Sachs and Citi.
The visit marks the first trip to China by a sitting US president in nearly a decade. Meetings between Trump and Xi are scheduled across two days in Beijing and include a state banquet, formal ceremonies at the Great Hall of the People and a visit to the Temple of Heaven.
Before departing Washington, Trump said trade would dominate the talks but confirmed that Iran and the Strait of Hormuz crisis would also feature in discussions with Xi.
“We’re going to have a long talk about it,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One.
The White House also wants China to maintain a trade truce agreed last year after both countries imposed tariffs exceeding 100 percent during a trade war that disrupted global supply chains.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held parallel negotiations with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng during a stop in South Korea before Trump’s arrival in Beijing. According to Reuters, the talks lasted about three hours and focused on preserving the October 2025 agreement that paused tariff escalation and restored some exports of rare earth minerals.
Trump used social media to frame the Beijing trip as an effort to push China towards greater market access for American firms.
“I will be asking President Xi to ‘open up’ China,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the executives travelling with him.
Technology and semiconductor policy sit at the centre of the summit agenda. Nvidia, Micron and other chip firms have faced restrictions tied to US export controls and Chinese national security reviews.
Nvidia has sought permission to expand sales of advanced artificial intelligence chips in China, including its H200 processors, which remain caught in disputes over export restrictions and national security concerns.
Micron chief Sanjay Mehrotra also joined the delegation despite Beijing limiting the use of some Micron chips in Chinese infrastructure projects in recent years.
The business group reflects the attempt by Washington to stabilise commercial ties with Beijing after years of tariff disputes, sanctions and export controls linked to semiconductors and AI development.
Chinese officials responded cautiously ahead of Trump’s arrival. Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing was prepared to “expand cooperation, manage differences and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world”.
Taiwan is expected to emerge as another point of tension. China repeated its opposition on Wednesday to planned US arms sales to Taipei, including a proposed $14bn defence package still awaiting White House approval.
Washington remains legally bound to support Taiwan’s defence despite lacking formal diplomatic relations with the island.
The summit comes at a difficult moment for Washington.
US courts have narrowed Trump’s authority to impose tariffs unilaterally, while the Iran war has pushed inflation higher inside the United States and increased pressure on Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.
China faces economic challenges of its own, including weak domestic demand and pressure on manufacturing exports, though Xi enters the talks without the same electoral pressures facing Trump.
Liu Qian, head of the Beijing-based advisory firm Wusawa Advisory, told Reuters the US side had stronger political reasons to secure visible results.
“The Trump administration needs this meeting more than China does,” Liu said.
HT