Administration

Trump arrives in Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping

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by Mallory Wilson - 05/13/26 10:36 PM ET

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by Mallory Wilson - 05/13/26 10:36 PM ET

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President Trump arrived at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for his meeting with President Xi Jinping on Thursday morning local time.

Soldiers holding red and gold flags lined up the street as Trump’s motorcade arrived. Scores of soldiers were lined up uniformly to greet the motorcade. As he got out, the trumpets started blaring.

The president walked up to Xi and the two leaders shook hands, both donning blue suits. Trump shook the hands of several Chinese officials and then walked Xi over to greet U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Defense Department Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, among others.

The two leaders walked the red carpet and looked on as a band played the national anthems of the U.S. and China, while guns went off in the background.

Groups of schoolchildren jumped up and down to greet the president as he clapped and smiled. The girls held flowers, while the boys held American and Chinese flags.

President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping greet children during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump enjoyed a big military welcome before he and Xi headed inside.

This is the first time a U.S. president has traveled to China since Trump’s last visit in 2017. Trump and Xi last saw each other in South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation event in October, where the two struck a trade deal.

Trump is expected to participate in a bilateral meeting with Xi, during which they will discuss topics such as the Iran war, tech and artificial intelligence, trade, and possibly detained prisoners.

A state banquet is scheduled for later Thursday, local time.

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