Trump lands in Beijing ahead of high-stakes summit with Xi

President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday evening local time, kicking off a two-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the first such meeting in nearly nine years.

The president was greeted at the airport by China’s Vice President Han Zheng, a military band, and hundreds of young people waving flags.

Trump is scheduled to meet Xi on Thursday around 10 a.m. local time for an arrival ceremony, followed by a full day of meetings and events.

The high-stakes summit is expected to cover a wide range of contentious topics, including trade, technology, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, which is likely to feature prominently in the talks.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held an hours-long preparatory meeting in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, focused on economic and trade issues. Beijing later described it as “candid, in-depth and constructive.”

Expectations for concrete deliverables from the summit remain low, however, as structural competition and distrust between the two superpowers run deep.

Trump is accompanied by a delegation of high-profile business leaders, including tech billionaires Elon Musk and Jensen Huang.

Trump and Xi will have a bilateral tea and working lunch on Friday, before the U.S. leader returns to Washington. 

Take a look at some of the photos below.