Trump gets spectacular state welcome from China’s Xi as goose-stepping guards greet president in Beijing
Donald Trump received a magnificent state welcome from Chinese President Xi Jinping; As goose-stepping guards of honor welcomed him to Beijing, he was greeted with an imperial flourish rarely afforded to a U.S. president.
The president warmly shook hands with Xi and patted his hand as they chatted briefly on the steps of the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square.
Trump, wearing his distinctive suit and red tie, was greeted by members of Xi’s cabinet outside the Great Hall.
The US President then introduced Xi to members of his own cabinet They included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trump was given the full VIP package as military bands played fanfare and troops in fully decorative regalia marched in front of the US and Chinese presidents as they stood together on the podium.
The president was given thunderous canon salutes throughout the ceremony and smiled broadly as he saluted the soldiers.
Xi then guided Trump up the stairs to the Great Hall, pausing on the way to the top as Xi pointed out key Beijing landmarks surrounding Tiananmen Square.
The two finally entered the Great Hall after about 20 minutes; US cabinet secretaries, officials and corporate executives were behind them.
Trump is traveling with his son Eric and daughter-in-law Lara with a delegation that includes Silicon Valley moguls Tesla’s Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.
This will be Trump’s first meeting with Xi since the Iran war broke out on February 28.
Following Trump’s arrival at the Great Hall of the People adjacent to Tiananmen Square, the two Presidents will meet for an approximately two-hour bilateral meeting.
The president is expected to pressure Xi to agree to a ceasefire and lean on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Xi is expected to push for tariff relief and access to American-designed artificial intelligence chips.
The summit was originally planned to be held in March, but was postponed when the war broke out.
Reports indicate that Xi has a very limited command of English and Trump does not know mandarin, so their bickering is more for show than substance.
Trump and Xi, who lead the world’s two largest economies, have a lot to do in the two days they will spend together.
On Wednesday, Trump called on Xi to further ‘open’ the economy to US businesses; A large group of 17 US CEOs have been invited to the White House to act as economic negotiators to remove obstacles to further investment.
The president arrived in China’s capital late Wednesday evening local time before heading to his hotel to rest.
Trump was greeted on the tarmac by a military band, about 300 students waving U.S. and Chinese flags, and the country’s Vice President Han Zheng.
