Trump calls on China to “open up” for U.S. business
U.S. President Donald Trump landed in the Chinese capital on Wednesday evening for a two-day summit with President Xi Jinping, accompanied by senior officials and a delegation of American business leaders, a Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Trump stepped off Air Force One and was received on the red carpet by Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, one of the country's most senior officials. The choice of greeter has been viewed as a notable gesture from Beijing, given that a more junior figure had welcomed Trump during his earlier visit in 2017.
A brass band performed as flag-waving crowds, arranged in neat uniformed rows, chanted words of welcome in both Chinese and English. Trump responded with his familiar fist pump before being escorted from the tarmac.
The trip had initially been scheduled for March but was postponed because of the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, a conflict that continues to weigh on the global economy.
Joining the president are his son Eric Trump and daughter-in-law Lara Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A group of American executives is also part of the delegation, including Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Apple's Tim Cook, BlackRock's Larry Fink and Boeing's Kelly Ortberg. First Lady Melania Trump did not travel to Beijing.
In a post on social media before landing, Trump said his first request to Xi would be for China to "open up" so that American business leaders could help lift the Chinese economy further.
On Thursday, Trump is scheduled to take part in a formal welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, followed by a state banquet, and several bilateral meetings. His program on Friday includes tea and a working lunch with Xi before he departs the Chinese capital.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that Donald Trump on Tuesday called his anticipated trip to China “very exciting.”
