Trump’s Beijing visit began on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump landed in China with a delegation that included Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang and Elon Musk for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump said he would ask Xi to “open up” China to US business, referring to the executives travelling with him. The visit is the first by a US president to China in nearly a decade.
The CEO delegation included companies seeking to resolve business issues in China, including Nvidia, which has sought regulatory permission to sell its H200 artificial intelligence chips in the Chinese market.
A source familiar with the matter said Trump asked Huang at the last minute to join the trip, and Huang was seen boarding Air Force One during a refuelling stop in Alaska en route to Beijing.
BREAKING: President Trump has STEPPED OFF Air Force One with Elon Musk in BEIJING, receiving an INCREDIBLY warm welcome from the Chinese
300 Chinese students waved American and Chinese flags, and 47 was presented with gifts
This is the FIRST Presidential visit to China in… pic.twitter.com/uXkpRvZJg4
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 13, 2026Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing was ready to expand cooperation, manage differences and add stability to a turbulent world when asked about Trump’s remarks.
Before Trump’s arrival, US trade negotiator Scott Bessent held three hours of preparatory talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at Incheon airport in South Korea. China’s Xinhua news agency described the talks as candid, in-depth and constructive.
Trump’s schedule includes a reception at the Great Hall of the People, a visit to the Temple of Heaven and a state banquet. Talks are expected to cover trade, Iran, US arms sales to Taiwan, rare earth supplies, artificial intelligence, Boeing aircraft, farm goods and energy sales.
China reiterated opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, while the status of a $14 billion package awaiting Trump’s approval remained unclear. A one-year trade truce reached last October remains central to the talks.
