On a landmark diplomatic visit to China’s capital Beijing, former U.S. President Donald Trump held a series of formal talks and scheduled engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping across Thursday and Friday, marking a high-profile gathering that drew global attention to the trajectory of U.S.-China relations.
Trump touched down in Beijing Wednesday evening aboard Air Force One, where he was received on the red carpet by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, alongside local youth waving both U.S. and Chinese national flags in a display of ceremonial welcome. The following day, a formal arrival ceremony was co-hosted by Xi and Trump at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, where the two leaders exchanged an opening handshake before walking the red carpet together and conducting a formal inspection of impeccably drilled Chinese honor guard troops. Rows of cheering children lined the route, waving small national flags and carrying floral bouquets to greet the visiting delegation. Following the ceremony, the U.S. leader was treated to a guided tour of the 15th-century Temple of Heaven, one of China’s most iconic historic landmarks, alongside Xi.
A standout detail of Trump’s delegation is the roster of top American technology and finance leaders joining the trip, signaling a focus on commercial and technological ties between the two global powers. Attendees include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang, who was confirmed as a last-minute addition to the delegation. Huang’s presence carries particular weight, as Nvidia has been at the center of ongoing U.S.-China technology trade tensions in recent years. Trump’s son Eric Trump also accompanied the delegation.
In his opening remarks to kick off the highly anticipated bilateral talks, Xi emphasized that the entire world was closely monitoring the outcomes of their meeting, noting that “currently transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the globe and the international situation is fluid and turbulent.” Responding in his own opening comments, Trump called the opportunity to meet with Xi “an honor,” reflecting on the productive working relationship the two leaders built in the past. “We’ve gotten along, when there were difficulties we worked it out. I would call you and you would call me,” Trump said. “People don’t know, whenever we had a problem we worked it out very quickly.”
After two hours of closed-door discussions, the two leaders traveled together to the Temple of Heaven, a 600-year-old imperial religious complex that once served as the site where Ming and Qing dynasty emperors held annual rituals to offer sacrifices and pray for abundant harvests. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and top international tourist destination, the ancient landmark provided a symbolic backdrop for the diplomatic meeting. Posing for photos in front of the complex’s iconic main prayer hall, Trump praised the site and the country, telling Xi “Great place, incredible. China’s beautiful.”