Trump arrives in China ahead of summit with Xi Jinping
What you need to know
- President Donald Trump has landed in Chinafor a summit with Xi Jinping
- Trump is expected to meet with Xi on Thursday
- Trump said he will ask Xi in their meeting to 'open up' China to US business
- US president is accompanied by US business leaders
Welcome to DW's coverage of the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing from May 13-15.
Skip next section Trump arrives in Beijing 05/13/2026May 13, 2026Trump arrives in Beijing
US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing late Wednesday evening local time and was greeted by a military honor guard and Chinese dignitaries including Vice President Han Zheng.
As Trump disembarked from Air Force One onto a red carpet, Chinese students waved US and Chinese flags and chanted "welcome" in Mandarin.
Trump paused and raised his fist in the air, before departing in a limousine.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DhcGSkip next section WATCH: 3 key issues to watch out for ahead of Trump's China visit05/13/2026May 13, 2026WATCH: 3 key issues to watch out for ahead of Trump's China visit
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to discuss a range of topics, with three likely dominating the agenda.
Trade: Tariffs are expected to be a major part of the agenda as the US and China restarted a a trade war last year after Trump singled out China during his global tariff blitz.
The highest tariffs were walked back after China threatened to choke off rare earths, and a summit in October yielded tentative agreements on trade
Both sides will be looking to build on progress, with Trump saying he wants China to buy more US goods,
Taiwan: Self-ruled Taiwan is a red line for Beijing. The US policy is that it "does not support" Taiwanese independence. But China could see an opening with Trump in pressing the US to actively "oppose" it.
US arms sales to Taiwan are also something Beijing bristles at, and Trump said before leaving it would be part of his talks with Xi.
Artificial intelligence: Trump and Xi are sure to discuss AI, as it remains a key area of competition between the US and China.
China wants access to the most advanced chips used to develop and deploy frontier AI models, which currently are produced by US chip giant Nvidia. Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, is part of Trump's business entourage in Beijing.
The Trump administration has allowed the sale of some less advanced Nvidia tech to China for a cut of the profits. A deal on more Chinese access to US tech would be lucrative for Beijing.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DhZhSkip next section China, US trade negotiators wrap up talks in Seoul05/13/2026May 13, 2026China, US trade negotiators wrap up talks in Seoul
China and the US held "candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges" in South Korea on resolving trade and economic issues and expanding cooperation, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng had three hours of talks in Seoul to prepare for a summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in China.
US and Chinese officials did not give an immediate summary of what the discussions entailed. Bessent is due to join Trump in Beijing later on Wednesday.
Both Bessent and He also held separate meetings with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the presidential Blue House.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DgI2Skip next section Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have met before — what to know05/13/2026May 13, 2026Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have met before — what to know
Donald Trump has been to China before as president of the US but that was in 2017 during his first term in office.
At that meeting, Trump lavished praise on Chinese leader Xi Jinping, marking a stark contrast to his previous criticism of China. Xi also gave Trump a grand welcome with a "state plus" visit that made it quite memorable.
Trade was a flashpoint issue then, too. Trump has long accused China of unfair trade practices, while the Chinese argument has been that the relationship has benefited Americans in the form of cheap goods and increased Chinese investment in the US.
In 2017, Trump asked Xi to "work very hard" on persuading North Korea to denuclearize. Overall, both sides were cordial. Trump then met Xi Jinping in summits in 2018 and 2019.
Trump's second term
Trump, in his second term, met Xi for the first time in October 2025 in South Korea, where the two sides extended a trade truce reached in Geneva in May 2025 by another year.
Trump agreed to lower tariffs previously used to pressure cooperation on combating the fentanyl crisis. For its part, China committed to purchasing US soybeans and also agreed to postpone by a year its proposed export controls on rare-earth minerals.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DgBcSkip next section Trump and Xi are set to discuss Taiwan — here's why that matters05/13/2026May 13, 2026Trump and Xi are set to discuss Taiwan — here's why that matters
President Donald Trump told reporters earlier this week that he was going to discuss US arms sales to Taiwan with President Xi.
"I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi," Trump said. But the words alarmed allies since that would break with the traditional US policy of maintaining "strategic ambiguity" that is designed to avoid provoking either side.
The policy means that the US is bound by law to ensure Taiwan's ability to defend itself even though it officially acknowledges Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of China.
Xi Jinping is expected to try to press Trump to shift US rhetoric closer to Beijing's position in a bid to isolate Taiwan, and while Trump is eager to persuade China to use its leverage over Iran.
At the same time, Taiwan has become essential for the development of artificial intelligence technology since it's the world's leading chipmaker.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dfy7Skip next section US-China trade talks: Bessent, He laying groundwork for Trump-Xi summit05/13/2026May 13, 2026US-China trade talks: Bessent, He laying groundwork for Trump-Xi summit
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng started talks in South Korea on Wednesday, paving the way for the much-anticipated summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
Trump becomes the first US leader in nearly a decade to visit China, after his 2017 visit during his first term in office. The summit offers leaders of both countries a chance to reset ties and find common ground on a range of issues.
Experts said the preparatory talks between Bessent and He were meant to lay the groundwork for the summit rather than seeking breakthroughs. Bessent then travels to China later today.
China's lead trade negotiator, Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang, and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min were among the officials accompanying He.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dfv7Skip next section WATCH — China tightens its grip on global business05/13/2026May 13, 2026WATCH — China tightens its grip on global business
Clifford CoonanJust days before a high-stakes Trump–Xi summit, Beijing is rewriting the rules of global business — punishing companies that move away from China, blocking major Western tech deals, and turning the screws on Europe to pick a side.
China tightens its grip on global business
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https://p.dw.com/p/5Dfu2Skip next section China repeats its strong opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan05/13/2026May 13, 2026China repeats its strong opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan
Zhang Han, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said Taiwan is an internal issue and a matter for the Chinese people.
"We firmly oppose the United States engaging in any form of military ties with China's Taiwan region and firmly oppose the United States selling weapons to China's Taiwan region. This position is consistent and unequivocal," she said during a weekly briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.
In December, the Trump administration announced an $11 billion (€9.4 billion) weapons package for Taiwan, the largest ever.
US riles China with $11 billion arms deal for Taiwan
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Taiwan is the "core of China's core interests" and honoring the commitments made by successive US administrations are "international obligations that the US side is duty-bound to fulfil", Zhang added.
China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out using force to exert its control.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DfsCSkip next section WATCH — A new chapter in US-China rivalry05/13/2026May 13, 2026WATCH — A new chapter in US-China rivalry
Kerstin SchweizerChina and the United States remain deeply intertwined economically despite years of tariff disputes and efforts at decoupling. While US–China trade has declined sharply — with Chinese exports to the US dropping 20% — Beijing has offset losses by expanding trade with Africa, Europe, and Latin America, contributing to a record global surplus.
Both sides still rely on each other: The US depends on China for rare earth elements and as an export market, while China seeks access to advanced American technologies like semiconductors.
Ahead of Donald Trump's visit to Beijing, both governments aim to stabilize relations and avoid further tariff escalation, especially as global economic pressures mount due to the conflict in Iran. Analysts describe the meeting as a "risk‑management summit," with China potentially positioned as a mediator in the Middle East to help secure vital trade routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.
A new chapter in US-China rivalry
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https://p.dw.com/p/5DfsdSkip next section READ — Trump-Xi summit: High stakes for the US, China and the world05/13/2026May 13, 2026READ — Trump-Xi summit: High stakes for the US, China and the world
Dang YuanAfter postponing his trip in March — having just recently launched the war with Iran — US President Donald Trump is set to visit China's leader Xi Jinping in Beijing at the end of the week.
The meeting comes as the world faces an ongoing energy crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz blockadeand peace negotiations between Tehran and Washington seem to be deadlocked. Meanwhile, entrenched trade disputes between China and the US still lurk from behind the scenes.
Against this backdrop, both countries have an incentive to ensure the meeting between the two leaders comes off as a success. Neither Trump nor Xi are ready to lose face. Both want to remain the "strong man."
Read the full analysis here
https://p.dw.com/p/5DfsMSkip next section Elon Musk, Jensen Huang accompanying Trump on Air Force One05/13/2026May 13, 2026Elon Musk, Jensen Huang accompanying Trump on Air Force One
A coterie of aides, family members and business leaders are accompanying President Trump on his trip to Beijing.
These leaders include:
- Nvidia's Jensen Huang
- Apple's Tim Cook
- Tesla and SpaceX's Elon Musk
- Kelly Ortberg from Boeing
- Brian Sikes from Cargill
- Citi's Jane Fraser
- H. Lawrence Culp, GE Aerospace
- David Solomon, Goldman Sachs
- Micron's Sanjay Mehrotra
- Meta's President and Vice Chairman Dina Powell McCormick
Trump says he will ask Xi to 'open up' China
During his flight to China, Trump said his first request of China's President Xi Jinping would be to "open up" China to US business.
"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!" Trump posted on his Truth Social from Air Force One.
The "brilliant people" referred to by Trump are US business leaders accompanying him on the trip.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DfiYSkip next section Welcome to our coverage05/13/2026May 13, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Kate Hairsine | Rana Taha EditorPresident Donald Trump has departed the United States for China, where he is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday for his highly anticipated summit with President Xi Jinping.
The meeting between the two world leaders comes at a critical moment for the world amid the war with Iran, spiking energy prices, trade and artificial intelligence.
"We're the two superpowers," Trump told reporters as he departed the White House on Tuesday. "We're the strongest nation on Earth in terms of military. China's considered second."
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