Trump receives grand red-carpet welcome after arriving in Beijing

Beijing rolled out a grand red-carpet welcome for US President Donald Trump as he arrived in China on Wednesday evening (May 13), marking the first visit by a sitting American president to the country in nearly a decade.

Trump’s special aircraft, Air Force One, landed in Beijing to an elaborate state reception attended by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and other senior officials. A ceremonial guard of honour was also arranged at the airport, underscoring the significance Beijing is placing on the visit.

Waving American and Chinese flags, groups of Chinese children greeted Trump in Mandarin as he walked across the red carpet. The US president, smiling and visibly upbeat, acknowledged the crowd with a raised fist before boarding his limousine.

One of the most notable aspects of the visit is the high-profile delegation accompanying Trump. Several top executives from leading US technology and business giants joined the president in Beijing, signalling the growing importance of economic and technological negotiations in US-China relations.

Among those accompanying Trump are Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Meta vice-chair Dina Powell McCormick and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman. According to a White House official, executives from more than a dozen major American tech firms are part of the delegation.

Ahead of the visit, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he would urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to further open China’s markets to US businesses.

During the two-day visit, discussions are expected to focus on trade ties, technology competition, the Iran conflict and the sensitive issue of US arms sales to Taiwan. A proposed $14 billion US arms package for Taiwan remains pending Trump’s approval, a move Beijing has strongly opposed.

Analysts say Trump is also seeking economic gains from the trip as he faces mounting domestic pressure over the ongoing Iran conflict and slowing public support at home.

According to the official schedule, Trump will hold formal talks with President Xi Jinping on Thursday morning. The visit also includes a state banquet, a ceremonial reception at the Great Hall of the People and a tour of the historic 600-year-old Temple of Heaven.

Observers believe the high-stakes meeting between the two leaders could shape the future of global trade, technology rivalry and regional security, at a time when China has emerged more assertive and influential on the world stage.