U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, seeking economic breakthroughs and stronger business ties amid mounting geopolitical tensions and domestic political pressure in Washington. The visit marks the first trip by a sitting U.S. president to China in nearly a decade. Trump said he planned to urge Xi to “open up” China to American companies, describing the delegation of U.S. business leaders traveling with him as “brilliant people” capable of boosting economic cooperation between both countries.
“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic,” Trump wrote on Truth Social before arriving in Beijing. “I will make that my very first request.”
The U.S. president was accompanied by several top American executives, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple chief Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and senior figures from Boeing, Meta, Visa, Goldman Sachs, Mastercard and Citi.
Huang’s inclusion in the delegation drew significant attention after reports emerged that Trump personally invited the Nvidia chief at the last minute while Air Force One stopped in Alaska for refuelling. Nvidia has faced difficulties obtaining approval to sell advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips in China due to ongoing U.S.-China technology restrictions.
Confirming Huang’s participation, an Nvidia spokesperson said: “Jensen is attending the summit at the invitation of President Trump to support America and the administration’s goals.”
Trump later dismissed reports suggesting Huang had not been invited to the trip. “In actuality, Jensen is currently on Air Force One and, unless I ask him to leave, which is highly unlikely, CNBC’s reporting is incorrect or, as they say in politics, FAKE NEWS!” he posted online.
The summit between Trump and Xi is expected to focus heavily on trade relations, artificial intelligence, semiconductor exports and investment cooperation. Officials from both countries are also expected to discuss rare earth supplies, aviation sales, agriculture exports and energy partnerships.
Ahead of the summit, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held three hours of talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in South Korea aimed at preserving a fragile trade truce reached last year. The agreement had paused massive tariffs imposed during the U.S.-China trade war and eased restrictions on rare earth exports critical to global manufacturing.
China is expected to push for the easing of American export controls on advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, while Washington hopes to expand exports of Boeing aircraft, agricultural products and energy supplies to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Beijing.
Beyond trade, the Trump-Xi talks are also expected to address sensitive geopolitical issues, including the Iran war and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. China on Wednesday reiterated its opposition to Washington’s military support for Taiwan, as uncertainty remains over Trump’s approval of a proposed $14 billion arms package.
Trump is also expected to pressure Beijing to help facilitate negotiations aimed at ending the conflict involving Iran. China, a major buyer of Iranian oil, has significant economic influence in the region, though Trump recently suggested he may not need Beijing’s direct assistance.
Analysts say the summit comes at a politically difficult moment for Trump. Legal challenges have weakened some of his tariff powers, while inflationary pressures linked to the Iran conflict have created additional concerns for American voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.
“Given last year’s trade war, keeping the status quo, rather than escalating, is already good news,” said Liu Qian, founder and CEO of Wusawa Advisory in Beijing. “That said, the Trump administration needs this meeting more than China does, as it needs to show to American voters that deals are signed, money is made... so mid-term elections can be secured.”
In Beijing, public reaction to Trump’s visit appeared mixed, with some Chinese citizens expressing cautious optimism about improved trade ties while questioning Washington’s long-term intentions toward China.
“The U.S. economy has been going downhill ... it’s been declining. So I think he’s coming here because he wants things to move in a better direction,” said Han Huiming, a 23-year-old insurance professional in Beijing. Another resident, Lou Huilian, added: “I don’t know if he’s genuinely sincere. But speaking as a Chinese person, and as someone working in trade, I just hope some good policies can come out of this.”
