Donald Trump is visiting China for high-level talks with Xi Jinping aimed at easing trade tensions, including discussions on Taiwan, AI technology, and the Iran crisis. The visit revives memories of Trump's landmark 2017 China trip, which was followed by the historic US-China trade war.
US President Donald Trump visits China after nine years. A dozen high-profile American business leaders travel with Trump to China.
Trump has visited China twice as President; his first visit was in November 2017.
In the afternoon of November 8 2017, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump landed in China. They were welcomed with high diplomatic protocol on the tarmac, the paved area at an airport where aeroplanes are parked, unload passengers, and refuel.
When Trump and Melania Trump stepped out of Air Force One, they were accorded a warm reception by Yang Jiechi, the primary official Chinese host at the airport and a top diplomat, state councillor, and high-ranking Politburo member.
High-ranking officials from the Chinese People's Liberation Army gathered on the red carpet.
A large crowd of children also lined up along the red carpet, welcoming Trump and his wife, waving American flags and chanting "Welcome, Welcome" in Mandarin.
As a customary, China's top diplomat, President Xi Jinping, did not meet Trump at the runway; instead, the President and his wife, Peng Liyuan, welcomed Trump and his wife at the gates of the Forbidden City Palace.
Later, President Xi Jinping took Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, on a tour of the Forbidden City, an ancient palace where China's emperors lived.
Trump was the first foreign leader to have an official dinner inside the Forbidden City since modern China was formed. And then Trump showed a cute video of his granddaughter singing a Chinese song. It quickly grabbed the media's attention and became famous.
Trump almost brought 29 business leaders with him on his 2017 visit to China; together, the US and China signed business deals worth over $250 billion.
In this business deal, China agreed to buy 300 Boeing aircraft from the United States, Ford car parts, and large quantities of US beef and soybeans.
Though this visit appeared friendly on the surface, the two leaders discussed serious issues.
Trump told Xi that China is making more money by selling goods to America while making it too hard for American companies to sell goods in China, and he also asked President Xi to make some changes.
He has also asked China to stop sending oil and money to North Korea, as he needed the help of China to restrain it from making nuclear missiles.
Although this 2017 visit was seen as the most friendly between the two countries, the relationship fell apart when Trump started a massive "Trade War" by imposing heavy tariffs on Chinese goods.
The historic trade war between the US and China began in early 2018, just after Trump returned from his 2017 visit to China.
He accused China of taking advantage of American products, pointing to a record $377 billion trade deficit. He blamed the country for stealing American technology secrets and forcing US companies to hand over their tech blueprints to do business in China.
In January 2018, Trump started the war by imposing a 30% tax on solar panels and washing machines, targeting China. In March, he signed a new law imposing a 25% tax on foreign steel and a 10% tax on aluminium.
China took revenge on America by imposing matching tariffs on 128 American products, including US beef, fruit, and steel.
Then this fight quickly escalated from a small-scale trade dispute to a full-blown trade war, in which the US imposed a 25% tariff on $34 billion in Chinese electronics and machinery. China also matched the heavy tax imposed by America by imposing a 25% tariff on American cars and agricultural goods.
In the summer of 2018, the US imposed tariffs on Chinese industrial goods, prompting China to impose matching tariffs on US products such as bourbon whiskey and coal.
Trump escalated the war by imposing a 10% tax on the massive $200 billion in Chinese goods, to which China responded by imposing a matching tax on the $60 billion in American goods. This time, it targeted the US farmers by cutting off the purchase of American soybeans.
By the end of 2018, the two countries imposed hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs on each other's goods. This conflict caused significant damage to American farmers, as they lost their biggest customers and had to raise prices for everyday US shoppers.
This trade war is still ongoing, but it is currently in a temporary truce. As the existing trade barriers were never removed, the US continues to impose heavy tariffs on Chinese products, averaging 30% to 47.5%. In comparison, China collects 10% to 31.9% on American products.
Trump is currently in Beijing, China, for a three-day highly important meeting with Xi Jinping from May 13, 2026, to May 15, 2026.
Trump landed in China on Wednesday evening and was welcomed with a red carpet, a military band, and a group of children waving national flags. He is staying at the Four Seasons Beijing.
On Thursday morning, President Xi Jinping warmly welcomed Trump at the Great Hall of the People, where the two leaders shook hands, listened to their national anthems, and held private talks for over two hours.
After the meeting, President Xi Jinping took President Trump on a tour of the 600-year-old Temple of Heaven.
The two leaders met to end the trade tariffs that began in 2018, and now they are trying to extend the truce so prices don't shoot back up.
Currently, the US is involved in a war with Iran, and this has disrupted the global oil supplies since China is the biggest oil customer of Iran. Trump wants Xi to pressure Iran to accept the peace deal.
Taiwan is a small island that governs itself. China claims that Taiwan is its own country, the US sells weapons to Taiwan, and hence China has warned the US that if it continues, then China would be involved with the US, which would result in a poor condition.
The leaders of both countries are discussing technology, including who controls the Artificial Intelligence and the computer microchips needed to build it.
Accompanying the CEO of a global business has become a custom for Trump. This time, he took a large group of the richest businessmen in America.
Elon Musk of Tesla
Tim Cook of Apple
Jensen Huan of Nvidia
The main goal of this visit is to restore the lost stability between the two countries, even though neither country trusts the other and both want to become "Partners not Rivals."
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