On May 14, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump (Republican) is greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. Trump’s visit will focus on trade, regional security and strengthening bilateral ties between the world’s two largest economies.
China Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images
BEIJING – U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday morning ahead of a high-stakes summit by Friday.
In his opening remarks, President Trump told Mr. Xi that relations between the two countries would be “better than ever,” according to official broadcast footage. President Trump said the two leaders have known each other personally longer than any other U.S. or Chinese president.
Speaking before President Trump, Xi noted the global attention on the meeting and said the big question for both countries is whether they can avoid the “Thucydides Trap,” according to an official English translation of Xi’s Chinese remarks broadcast by CCTV. Thucydides’ Trap refers to how tensions between rising powers and dominant powers have historically often led to war.
The two presidents are scheduled to hold multiple talks until noon Friday.
In addition to tariffs and rare earths, Iran, Taiwan and artificial intelligence are among the many topics the two countries are expected to discuss. The last time a sitting US president visited China was in 2017.
On Thursday, President Xi descended the steps of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to shake hands with President Trump, according to official broadcast footage. The US president first shook hands with Chinese officials, followed by President Xi greeting the US delegation.
According to the video, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Economic Planning Agency head Zheng Shanjie were among the Chinese delegates.
The U.S. delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as business executives such as Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.
Read more about the meeting between President Trump and Xi
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