Donald Trump told Xi Jinping on Thursday that the United States and China would have “a fantastic future together” as the two leaders opened high-stakes talks in Beijing on trade, Iran and Taiwan.
Trump praised Xi during a lavish welcome ceremony at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, describing it as “an honour to be your friend”, while the Chinese president said the world’s two largest economies “should be partners and not rivals”.
Xi welcomed Trump with a red carpet ceremony featuring military band fanfare, a gun salute and schoolchildren chanting greetings, underscoring Beijing’s efforts to project warmth despite lingering geopolitical tensions.
The summit marks the first visit by a U.S. president to China in nearly a decade and comes after months of strained ties between the two countries over tariffs, technology, Taiwan and broader strategic rivalry.
“A stable China-U.S. relationship is a boon for the world. Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.”
The talks come against the backdrop of a prolonged trade dispute that escalated in 2025 after both countries imposed tariffs exceeding 100% on each other’s goods.
Trump said he expected “a long talk” with Xi about Iran, whose oil exports are heavily dependent on Chinese purchases despite U.S. sanctions.“I don’t think we need any help with Iran,” The U.S President said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington hoped Beijing would pressure Tehran to scale back activities in the Persian Gulf.
Trade and market access are also expected to dominate discussions, with Trump pushing Xi to further open China’s economy to American firms.
Senior U.S. business executives accompanying Trump, including Elon Musk and Jensen Huang, attended Thursday’s welcome ceremony.
Trump and Xi are also expected to discuss extending a one-year tariff truce reached during their last meeting in South Korea in October.
Taiwan remains another major point of friction. Trump said earlier this week he would raise U.S. arms sales to the self-governing island claimed by China, a sensitive issue for Beijing.
Chinese state media reported that leader Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump that their countries could come into conflict if the issue over self-ruled Taiwan claimed by Beijing is mishandled. “The Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” Xi said.