United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday (May 13) landed in Beijing ahead of a high-stakes summit as he seeks to ramp up trade despite potential friction over Iran and Taiwan.
Trump touched down on Air Force One at Beijing Capital International Airport at 7.50pm (11.50am GMT) after a long flight from Washington.
His arrival marks the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, and will be his first visit since 2017.
The Iran war is expected to dominate the agenda for the summit between Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping, analysts said.
Leaving Washington on Tuesday on a trip that was delayed by his war, Trump said he expected a “long talk” with Xi about Iran, which relies on China as the top customer for its US-sanctioned oil.
But he also played down disagreements on Iran, saying that Xi has been “relatively good, to be honest with you”.
“I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or the other. We’ll win it peacefully or otherwise,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House.
This week’s trip will involve talks with Xi on Thursday and Friday, during a packed itinerary that includes a state banquet and tea reception.
Scheduled talks are expected to include discussions on US arms sales to Taiwan, mutual trade and investment, as well as artificial intelligence and its associated risks.
