US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a closely watched two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by a delegation of prominent American business leaders including Elon Musk and Jensen Huang.
The visit marks the first trip by a US president to China in nearly a decade and comes at a sensitive moment for relations between the world’s two largest economies. Trump is seeking to strengthen economic ties, preserve a fragile trade truce and secure commercial agreements that could provide political momentum at home following growing criticism over the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Before departing for Beijing, Trump said he planned to encourage China to “open up” further to American companies and investment.
The delegation travelling with the president includes executives from major technology, finance and industrial firms hoping to resolve longstanding business and regulatory disputes with Beijing. Among the most closely watched companies is Nvidia, which has faced challenges obtaining approval to sell advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips in China amid tightening export restrictions and growing geopolitical tensions.
At the same time, Trump administration officials continued trade discussions with Chinese representatives ahead of the summit. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held three hours of preparatory talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at South Korea’s Incheon airport while Trump travelled to Beijing aboard Air Force One.
China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency described the discussions as “candid, in-depth and constructive,” though neither side released detailed information about the content of the negotiations.
The summit schedule includes a formal welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, a visit to the Temple of Heaven and a state banquet hosted by Xi.
Analysts say the presence of senior corporate executives reflects the administration’s focus on securing practical economic gains during the visit. Companies represented in the delegation are believed to include firms from the semiconductor, technology, aviation and financial sectors, many of which are seeking improved access to Chinese markets or clearer regulatory conditions.
The summit also takes place against the backdrop of wider global uncertainty, including volatile oil prices and concerns about slowing economic growth linked to tensions in the Middle East. Observers say both Washington and Beijing have strong incentives to avoid further escalation in trade disputes while maintaining stable economic relations.
Despite expectations for symbolic displays of diplomacy and business cooperation, analysts caution that major breakthroughs remain uncertain given ongoing disagreements over technology exports, tariffs and national security concerns.
Even so, the meeting is expected to shape the direction of US-China relations during a period of growing geopolitical and economic competition between the two powers.
