Donald Trump has arrived in China for a key summit with President Xi Jinping, promising the trip will bring “great things” for both countries.
The U.S. commander-in-chief was joined on Air Force One by an entourage of tech CEOs and billionaires, including Elon Musk and Apple boss Tim Cook.
Writing on Truth Social before departing for Beijing, Trump wrote: “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all. Great things will happen for both Countries!”
China is reportedly preparing a grand welcome for Trump, including a state banquet, but the real focus will be on tense negotiations on a range of subjects from trade to war.
Beijing has quietly tried to act as a mediator in the ongoing Iran conflict as rising oil prices have hit China’s already slowing economy. In return for helping ease tensions, China is likely to seek concessions from Washington.
Taiwan will also be a major issue. The U.S. continues supporting Taiwan militarily, while Trump has sent mixed signals about how strongly America would defend the island, which China claims as its own.
In pictures: Trump arrives to fanfare in China
Trump welcomed by flag-waving students
Trump has now stepped off the plane to pomp and pageantry.
Dozens of Chinese students are waving flags in honor of the U.S. president’s arrival, flanked by a military guard.
Trump has been met by Han Zheng, the vice president of the People’s Republic of China, before being escorted to a waiting motorcade.
What Trump and Xi will discuss during China visit – and what could go wrong
Trump is making the first presidential visit to China in almost a decade, at a time when an increasingly drawn-out conflict with Iran is hammering his approval ratings at home and leaving the Republicans desperate for a visible foreign policy win.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Trump pushed back this summit from a planned date in late March to a time when the White House assumed its brief “excursion” in the Middle East would be over, allowing the Americans to negotiate from a position of strength.
Instead, the U.S. seems no closer to wrapping up the war with Iran, and it is China that has come out of the situation looking like a beacon of stability, with its close ally Tehran still standing and its economy largely shielded from the global fallout of the Strait of Hormuz’s closure.
What Trump and Xi will discuss during China visit – and what could go wrong
Analysts tell Shweta Sharma that Xi appears to have the upper hand on trade, Iran and Taiwan, but Trump still has plenty to gain from talks in BeijingMaroosha Muzaffar13 May 2026 13:10
First pictures of Air Force One arriving in Beijing
Trump arrives in China flanked by CEOs and billionaires
President Trump has arrived in Beijing accompanied by an entourage that included Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Elon Musk after pledging to urge China’s Xi Jinping to “open up” to U.S. business at the start of their two-day summit.
Trump‘s trip is the first visit by a U.S. president to China in nearly a decade.
The commander in chief will be eager to make deals, maintain a fragile trade truce with the world’s second economy, and prop up public approval ratings bruised by his war with Iran.
The CEOs accompanying Trump are drawn mainly from companies seeking to resolve business issues with China, such as Nvidia, which has struggled to get regulatory permission to sell its powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips there.
Trump arrives in Beijing
Donald Trump has landed in Beijing ahead of his two day summit with Xi Jinping.
Air Force One just touched down at the airport just before 8 p.m. local time.
Elon Musk, Tim Cook and other CEOs join Trump’s China trip
High-profile executives including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook, are joining President Trump on his visit to China.
Musk and other business leaders in the U.S. delegation have major business interests in China, with international traded expected to be high on the agenda.
Trump posted about his billion dollar entourage on Truth Social as the group headed to Beijing on Wednesday.
“It is an Honor to have Jensen, Elon, Tim Apple, Larry Fink, Stephen Schwarzmann, Kelly Ortberg (Boeing), Brian Sikes (Cargill), Jane Fraser (Citi), Larry Culp (GE Aerospace), David Solomon (Goldman Sachs), Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron), Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm), and many others journeying to the Great Country of China,” Trump wrote.
Maroosha Muzaffar12 May 2026 10:53
Trump says talks will bring ‘great things’ for US and China as he leaves for Beijing
Donald Trump said he is eager for his trip to China, describing the country as “amazing” and praising Xi Jinping as he left for Beijing.
Trump said he expects “great things” for both nations from the visit.
A large group of top American business leaders, including executives from major tech, finance, aerospace and manufacturing companies, will accompany him.
The visit, scheduled from 13 May to 15 May, will focus on trade, tariffs, Taiwan, Iran, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.
Both sides are expected to discuss improving economic ties, possible cooperation in sectors such as energy and agriculture, and extending a trade truce agreed last year.
Iran will also feature prominently, with US officials planning to raise concerns about China’s links with Tehran.
Maroosha Muzaffar12 May 2026 10:21