US President Donald Trump said China and the US will have a “fantastic future” in a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, kicking off the first visit by a sitting US president to Beijing in nearly a decade.
The meeting was the first of three planned between the two leaders in 2026. In a readout released after Thursday’s talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said they had agreed to support each other in successfully hosting this year’s Apec Leaders’ Informal Meeting and the G20 Summit.
The first discussions between the two leaders took place on Thursday morning, covering economic issues between the two countries, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear issues, and Taiwan, according to the Xinhua agency. A topic described as "the most important issue". The discussions lasted a little over two hours.
The White House readout of the meeting did not include discussions on Taiwan. "The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries [...]. They agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the White House official said.
The two leaders then visited the Temple of Heaven on Thursday afternoon. Mr Xi greeted the American President outside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
In his opening remarks, Mr Xi said the US and China should be "partners not rivals", and "the whole world is watching". He stressed that trade wars have "no winners".
To reporters, Mr Trump said that the talks were "great" and that "China is beautiful". He did not answer when asked if he talked about Taiwan.
Taiwan sees itself as a self-governing democratic state with its own government and identity, while China considers the island part of its territory under the “One China” principle and has vowed eventual reunification.
Chinese leader also welcomed "deeper US business participation in China's reform and opening," according to a readout published by the Xinhua agency. The two leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Korean Peninsula, according to Xinhua.
The two leaders first met on Thursday morning in the Great Hall of the People off Tiananmen Square after a welcome ceremony featuring honour guards and children waving flowers and flags.
“The relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before,” Mr Trump said in his opening remarks.
Chinese troops goose-stepped to revolutionary anthems in front of Mr Trump, while schoolchildren waving American and Chinese flags cheered as the two leaders walked past, Mr Trump occasionally patting Mr Xi on the back.
“You're a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway,” Mr Trump told his host as they sat across from each other, flanked by their delegations.
“There are those who say this may be the biggest summit ever. It's an honour to be with you. It's an honour to be your friend and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before." The summit will last until Friday, when potential joint announcements on trade and diplomacy should be made. Washington hopes to make trade agreements on what aides have described as “the three Bs” – beef, soybeans and Boeing aircraft.
The White House said deals are expected on industry, aerospace, agriculture and energy.
Mr Xi told the US leader: “Each country's success represents an opportunity for the other, and a stable China – US relationship benefits the entire world. When we co-operate, both sides benefit; when we confront each other, both sides suffer.”
Mr Trump has sought to describe the visit as a chance to deepen economic ties and secure business deals, while highlighting his personal relationship with Mr Xi, whom he has repeatedly described as a “great” leader.
“I will be asking President Xi, a leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level,” he wrote on Truth Social.
A foreign diplomat in Washington said Mr Trump was likely to focus more heavily on trade because “on Iran, he doesn’t have the upper hand”.
The official said Beijing is expected to continue portraying itself as a “cautious mediator” in the conflict, while pushing for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran effectively shut the key shipping route.
Mr Trump was given a red-carpet welcome on arrival and greeted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, while hundreds of youths waved Chinese and American flags and chanted “welcome”.
He has promoted this idea of “rebalancing” trade with China through tariffs, as a way of benefiting American workers and farmers as part of his “America First” agenda.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth are travelling with Mr Trump, along with Elon Musk, a former Trump adviser. Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang also joined Air Force One during a refuelling stop in Alaska on its way to Beijing.
“I have a great relationship with President Xi, and I think it’s going to remain that way,” Mr Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control.
“I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or the other.”
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has rattled global energy markets, including in both the US and China, increasing pressure on world leaders to find a path towards de-escalation.
Analysts say Mr Trump is expected to press China to reduce purchases of Iranian oil as part of Washington’s broader effort to increase economic pressure on Tehran.
China, a major buyer of Iranian oil, has diverse energy import sources and large reserves, helping cushion it against the economic fallout from the conflict.
For weeks, Mr Trump has sought to end the war he started alongside Israel in late February.
The conflict has pushed up fuel prices in the US and lowered Mr Trump’s approval ratings before crucial midterm elections.
He has repeatedly claimed that the US has already achieved military victory in the conflict and insisted Washington does not require outside assistance.
