Trump begins high-stakes summit in Beijing with lavish welcome

U.S. President Donald Trump received a lavish welcome in Beijing on Wednesday as he began a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by senior business leaders including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Elon Musk.

Chinese officials staged a carefully choreographed reception, complete with a military honour guard and students waving U.S. and Chinese flags as Trump disembarked from Air Force One. Pausing on the red carpet as the students chanted greetings in Mandarin, he acknowledged the crowd before departing.

Push for economic gains and market access

Push for economic gains and market access

Trump is seeking to secure economic gains during the first visit by a U.S. president to China in nearly a decade, while maintaining a fragile trade truce. In a social media post, he said he would urge Xi to “open up” China further to U.S. businesses.

Elon Musk is accompanying Trump on the China trip as part of a delegation of leading U.S. business executives invited to join high-level trade and technology discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to Reuters.

Musk’s presence also reflects Tesla’s commercial interests in China, where the company operates its Shanghai Gigafactory and relies heavily on the Chinese market. The delegation reportedly includes Apple chief executive Tim Cook and Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang.

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“I will be asking President Xi… to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic,” Trump said, referring to Huang and Musk, in relation to regulatory hurdles in China.

Trade talks and strategic tensions

Ahead of the summit, U.S. trade negotiator Scott Bessent held three hours of talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in South Korea. Chinese state media described the discussions as “candid, in-depth and constructive”.

Both sides are aiming to preserve a trade truce agreed last year while addressing disputes over rare earths, technology exports and market access. Talks are also expected to cover geopolitical tensions, including the Iran conflict and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing strongly opposes.

Uneven leverage and cautious public mood

Analysts say Trump enters the talks under mounting domestic and economic pressure, while China faces fewer immediate political constraints.

Public sentiment in Beijing appeared mixed. “I don’t know if he’s genuinely sincere,” said Lou Huilian, a 44-year-old oil trader. “But speaking as a Chinese person, I just hope some good policies can come out of this.”

Others expressed cautious optimism about improved ties, even as uncertainty lingered over the outcome of the high-stakes meetings.

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