United States President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a closely watched two-day visit, where he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks centred on tariffs, technology competition, the Iran war, and Taiwan.
Trump was received on the tarmac by Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, while crowds of flag-waving supporters chanted “welcome” as the US leader stepped off Air Force One, underscoring the highly choreographed nature of the diplomatic visit.
The American president is travelling with a group of prominent technology executives, including Tesla chief Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, signalling the central role of the tech industry in the discussions.
Ahead of his arrival in China, Trump said he would push Beijing to deepen access for American businesses, stating that he would ask China to “open up” to US industry.
The visit places the world’s two largest economies back at the centre of global attention at a time of heightened geopolitical tension, with issues ranging from trade tariffs and semiconductor competition to the ongoing conflict in Iran and the strategic status of Taiwan expected to dominate discussions between both leaders.
Trump, who last visited China in 2017 while serving as US president, returns to a markedly different geopolitical environment, with Beijing projecting itself more assertively as a stabilising global power amid shifting alliances.
Originally scheduled for March, the trip was postponed following the escalation of the Iran war, before being rescheduled for this week’s high-stakes diplomatic engagement.
Boluwatife Enome
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