Beijing(National Times)- United States President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Beginning the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, Trump touched down on Air Force One at Beijing Capital International Airport at 7:50pm (4:50pm PKT) after the long flight from Washington.
Ructions over Iran, trade and Taiwan loom over the highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world’s largest economies, which Trump had already delayed from March because of the war in the Middle East.
But Trump appeared firmly focused on business deals, with Nvidia chief Jensen Huang boarding the plane at the last minute in Alaska and Tesla’s Elon Musk also travelling on the presidential jet.
Trump was welcomed by Chinese dignitaries, a tightly choreographed formation of military honour guard and dozens of Chinese students waving US and Chinese flags as he disembarked Air Force One in the waning hours of twilight.
Pausing midway down the red carpet as the students chanted “welcome, welcome, warm welcome” in Mandarin, he punched the air and smiled broadly before departing in his limousine.
A White House official account said that tomorrow, Trump “will participate in the official state arrival ceremony, meet with President Xi Jinping, sit for multiple interviews, and hold several other official events”.
Trump and Xi will hold talks at 10:00am (7am PKT) on Thursday in Beijing’s opulent Great Hall of the People, where they will also enjoy a state banquet in the evening.
On Friday, they are set to have tea and a working lunch before the US president heads home.
‘Big deal’
This week’s trip — the first since Trump visited Beijing in 2017 — will involve highly anticipated talks with Xi on Thursday and Friday, as well as lavish pomp and ceremony.
Trump said in a social media post en route that he would be “be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level”.
As he departed the White House, Trump said he expected a “long talk” with Xi about Iran, which sells most of its US-sanctioned oil to China.
But he also downplayed disagreements, telling reporters that “I don’t think we need any help with Iran” from China and that Xi had been “relatively good” on the topic.
Yet Beijing is growing impatient for peace, with China’s foreign minister urging his Pakistani counterpart on Tuesday to step up mediation efforts between Iran and the US.
Trump said on Monday he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by China — a departure from historic US insistence that it will not consult Beijing on its support to the island.
China’s controls on rare earth exports, AI rivalry and the countries’ raucous trade relationship are also among the topics expected to be taken up by the heads of the world’s top two economies.
The two sides are set to discuss extending a one-year truce in their tariff war, which Trump and Xi reached during their last meeting in South Korea in October.
The tense buildup to the superpower summit was already visible on the streets of Beijing, with police monitoring major intersections and checking the ID cards of passengers on the metro, AFP journalists saw.
“It’s definitely a big deal,” said Wen Wen, a 24-year-old woman travelling from the eastern city of Nanjing, when asked by AFP about Trump’s visit.
“Some progress will certainly be made,” she said, noting that she hopes China and the United States can ensure “lasting peace” despite “recent instability in the global situation”.
‘Very good relationship’
The US and China have long sought to stabilise their relationship despite increasingly seeing each other as adversaries in trade and geopolitics.
Trump has repeatedly touted a strong personal relationship with Xi, which he insisted on Monday would prevent a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing.
“I think we’ll be fine. I have a very good relationship with President Xi.
He knows I don’t want that to happen,” he said.
Trump’s trip will be closely scrutinised by Taiwan and Asian allies for any sign of weakening US support.
Beijing has grown more confident and assertive since Trump’s 2017 trip, and the US president finds himself in a weakened position as he seeks a way out of his Iran war.
But the summit also comes at an uncertain time for China’s economy, which has struggled in recent years with sluggish domestic spending and a protracted debt crisis in the once-booming property sector.
