U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met Thursday in Beijing for a high-stakes summit overshadowed by the war in Iran, tensions over Taiwan and the technological rivalry between the world’s two largest economies. The meeting took place at the Great Hall of the People, near Tiananmen Square, after a formal welcome ceremony that included a Chinese honor guard, U.S. and Chinese flags, and senior officials from both countries.
Xi opened the meeting with a cautious message, warning against confrontation between Washington and Beijing and invoking the “Thucydides Trap,” the term used to describe the risk of conflict when a rising power challenges an established one. English-language coverage quoted Xi as saying that the United States and China should be “partners, not rivals.”
Trump, by contrast, struck a warmer tone. He told Xi that “it’s an honor to be your friend,” and said the relationship between China and the United States was “going to be better than ever before.” He also praised the Chinese president directly: “You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.”
The two leaders shook hands during the welcome ceremony before moving into formal talks. Photos from the event showed Trump and Xi at the Great Hall of the People alongside military honor guards and members of the American delegation.
Trump also commented on the elaborate reception outside the hall, telling Xi that he was “particularly impressed by those children.” He added: “Those children were amazing.”
The American delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as well as leading U.S. business and technology figures. Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang were seen at the welcome ceremony, underscoring the economic and technological stakes of the visit.
The summit marks Trump’s first visit to China since his 2017 trip, and the first visit by a U.S. president to the country in nearly nine years. It comes as Washington and Beijing try to stabilize relations while remaining deeply divided over trade, technology, Taiwan and China’s relationship with Iran.
Trade is expected to be one of the central issues in the talks. U.S. officials are seeking greater access for American companies in China, along with potential Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, aircraft and energy products. Beijing, meanwhile, is looking for relief from American restrictions affecting advanced chips and semiconductor-manufacturing equipment.
The technology agenda is especially sensitive. Huang’s presence highlights the importance of chip sales and artificial intelligence, both of which have become security issues as well as commercial ones. The United States has tightened restrictions on advanced technology exports to China, while Beijing has sought to reduce its dependence on American suppliers.
Iran is another major item on the agenda. The war has disrupted global energy markets and complicated U.S. diplomacy, while China remains a major buyer of Iranian oil and has significant economic influence over Tehran. Washington hopes Beijing will use that leverage to help reduce the crisis.
Taiwan is expected to be one of the most sensitive points in the talks. China considers the island part of its territory and strongly opposes U.S. arms sales to Taipei. According to current reporting, Beijing is expected to press Trump to reduce American support for Taiwan, while U.S. officials are balancing that pressure against long-standing security commitments and political support for the island in Washington.
Another issue likely to arise is Trump’s proposal for a trilateral nuclear arms arrangement involving the United States, China and Russia. Beijing has previously been wary of such an agreement, in part because China’s nuclear arsenal is much smaller than those of Washington and Moscow.
Despite the warm public language, expectations for major breakthroughs remain limited. AP described the summit as likely to be heavier on pageantry and symbolism than concrete results, with major disputes still unresolved over Iran, trade and Taiwan.