The bilateral talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have begun in Beijing.
In his opening remarks, Jinping calls for China and the US to be partners, not rivals. He said he looked forward to having discussions with Trump and working together to set the course for and steer the giant ship of China-US relations to make 2026 a historic landmark year that opens up a new chapter.
In his opening remarks, Trump described Jinping as a great leader and said the relationship between the two superpowers will be better than ever before. Earlier, Beijing put on a grand welcome for President Trump as he met Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the entrance to the Great Hall of the People.
The US President arrived in Beijing last evening for a two-day summit with Xi Jinping. The Iran war, global energy crisis, trade tensions, Taiwan and artificial intelligence are likely to dominate the agenda. The summit comes at a pivotal moment for global geopolitics. While expectations for major breakthroughs remain limited, the meeting is being viewed as a critical effort to stabilise relations between the world’s two countries amid rising international uncertainty.
Trump is likely to press Xi Jinping to use China’s influence with Tehran to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and encourage renewed negotiations aimed at easing tensions in the Gulf. Economic relations are expected to remain at the heart of the summit, with both sides discussing a possible extension of the existing trade truce. Talks may also include increased Chinese purchases of US goods, including Boeing aircraft, agricultural exports and energy products.
Taiwan is expected to remain one of the most delicate issues during the summit. Beijing is likely to push for reduced US political and military support for the island, while Washington is expected to emphasise stability and deterrence in the Taiwan Strait. The two countries may also discuss cooperation on artificial intelligence, particularly around risk management, regulation and the strategic implications of emerging technologies as competition intensifies between both powers.
The US President has brought along several top business and technology executives on his visit to China, underscoring the importance of economic and technological issues in bilateral relations. Among the prominent executives accompanying President Trump are Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. Senior representatives from Meta, Visa, JPMorgan, Boeing, and Cargill are also part of the delegation.
President Trump is also accompanied by senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, along with key White House aides. This marks President Trump’s first official visit to China since 2017 and his first trip to the country since returning to the White House for a second term.
