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US President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a high-stakes summit, vowing to push President Xi Jinping to “open up” China to American corporations.
Heading the first presidential visit to the country in nearly a decade, Trump indicated that his primary objective is to secure better access for U.S. firms, allowing them to expand their operations within the People’s Republic.
To underscore this business-centric focus, the president travelled with a high-profile delegation of tech leaders, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, with Apple’s Tim Cook also set to join the talks.
While trade remains at the forefront of the agenda, the summit must navigate significant geopolitical hurdles, most notably the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Trump expressed his intention to have a “long talk” with Xi regarding Tehran’s oil exports to China, which persist despite U.S. sanctions.
Despite these tensions, the president strikes a characteristically optimistic tone regarding his personal rapport with Xi, suggesting that their “very good relationship” will facilitate progress on sensitive issues, including the rivalry over artificial intelligence and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The two leaders are expected to engage in intensive discussions on Thursday and Friday, potentially extending the current one-year truce in their long-running tariff war.
The backdrop of the meeting is marked by economic uncertainty in China and a desire for global stability following recent international volatility.
As Beijing welcomes the delegation with a lavish ceremony, the world’s two largest economies remain caught in a delicate balance between fierce competition and the pragmatic need for cooperation.
