Trump lands in China as Iran tensions cloud high-stakes meeting
President Trump landed in Beijing and began a three-day visit; This marks the first time a sitting US President has visited China in nearly nine years, at a time when two global superpowers are grappling for economic dominance while dancing to a diplomatic tune.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng welcomed Trump at Beijing airport. U.S. Ambassador to China David Purdue and Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng were also there to welcome the President.
When the president touched down, 300 Chinese students holding both Chinese and American flags were cheering on the sidelines.
The trip, which was postponed due to the US-Israeli war against Iran, includes a delegation of US industrial giants who are about to reach an agreement with their Chinese counterparts.
It is the first time a US President has visited China since Trump’s first term visit in 2017. But this trip to Beijing takes place against the backdrop of global concerns about trade, the Iran war and artificial intelligence.
The President’s Air Force One crew included Elon Musk, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Eric and Lara Trump, who were captured while refueling in Alaska, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Fox News host Sean Hannity and ‘Rush Hour’ Director Brett Ratner.
Trump’s arrival with a boardroom of confirmed CEOs, including Musk, Huang, Apple’s Tim Cook, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, Goldman Sachs David Solomon, GE Aerospace’s Larry Culp and others, suggests that the full arsenal of American capitalist firepower has descended on communist China. The executives cover a large portion of U.S. industries, including technology, finance, banking, aviation and aerospace.
As globalist tendencies wane and nations turn inward to provide for themselves in an increasingly self-isolating environment, the President’s choice to bring in a hand-picked group of CEOs underscores a pragmatic aspect of outsourcing some of America’s economic hurdles to private citizens as Trump engages with his “friend” Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The delegation of US businessmen who came to Beijing with the president represents tens of trillions of dollars.
People walk in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on a high-stakes state visit that runs through May 15, his first return to the mainland since 2017.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping pose for a photo before a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025. Trump meets Xi for the first time since he was inaugurated for a second term after months of rising tensions between the two countries
Every business has its own issues to solve regarding China; NVIDIA wants to sell its AI-powered chips in China, Visa wants to regain ground in digital-first Chinese payment systems, Boeing wants to sell a bunch of planes to Chinese buyers, Apple wants to stabilize its China-based supply lines and protect its intellectual property, and the list goes on.
“I will ask President Xi, an extraordinarily privileged Leader, to ‘open up’ China so these brilliant people can work their magic,” Trump said on social media while aboard Air Force One. ‘I will make this my first request.’
While most state visits include a cadre of diplomats, military leaders and agency heads, Trump deliberately packed the presidential plane with deal-makers.
CEOs are not there for show, they are there to negotiate terms that fuel the ambitions of the US and China.
Trump, meanwhile, has a long list of issues to resolve with Xi, including the Iran war, differences over the fate of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, the US-China rivalry for artificial intelligence dominance, and toning down rhetoric portraying the US and China as enemies.
The Iran war has cost America $29 billion so far; That’s even higher than the $25 billion figure the Pentagon presented to Congress two weeks ago.
The Republican postponed his first trip to China by several months so he could stay in the United States as the war against Iran escalated. Three months later, this conflict still continues, although a tenuous ceasefire has bought both sides time to negotiate an end to hostilities.
Trump has sought to enlist Xi as a mediator in the conflict, noting how China has purchased the lion’s share of Iran’s energy exports to power its ever-growing industrial and manufacturing base.
At the two Presidents’ last face-to-face meeting in October in Busan, South Korea, the leaders were able to renegotiate a tariff agreement after Trump’s April 2025 ‘Liberation Day’ gambit hit Beijing with high odds.
This trend has Trump reportedly trying to get Xi to come to the table and buy US soybeans, beef and Boeing planes.
Trump attends a welcoming ceremony with Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, on November 9, 2017, during his 10-day trip to Asia
Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan stand together while touring the Forbidden City in Beijing in November 2017. Melania is not joining the trip this time.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands as they leave after their meeting at Gimhae Air Base in October 2025
Trump and First Lady Melania visited China on an official visit in 2017.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, China, earlier this month
Xi is expected to push for tariff relief on the export-heavy Chinese economy, which has been hurt by Trump’s unexpected instability; Exports account for about 20 percent of China’s GDP.
The Trump administration has floated the idea of a ‘Board of Trade’ for the US and China to stabilize their balance sheets.
The board will decide “what kinds of things we need to import from China, what kinds of things we need to export to China to make sure that we can really focus on areas of mutual benefit,” Greer said after meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese counterparts in Paris.
“We expect the leaders to talk about this issue when they meet,” he added, referring to Trump and Xi’s meeting.
An ‘Investment Board’ has also been proposed where China and the US could discuss investment hurdles, such as resolving roadblocks hindering Chinese investments in the US, and provide a venue for resolving other economic issues.
The president is expected to hold bilateral meetings and cultural events for two days after his arrival in Beijing.
On Thursday morning, Trump will arrive with Xi at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing for the official arrival ceremony.
The presidents will then hold a closed-door meeting of approximately two hours. After that, Trump will head to his hotel for a few hours before returning to the Great Hall for the state banquet.
On Friday, Trump will take part in a photo op with Xi ahead of a ceremonial tea and another bilateral meeting. The Republican is scheduled to leave China’s capital Friday afternoon and return to Washington Friday evening.
