(AFP) – US President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping aimed at easing deep tensions between the rival superpowers. Giving a fist pump, Trump descended the steps of Air Force One after touching down at Beijing Capital International Airport, kicking off the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade. Right behind him were Tesla boss Elon Musk and Nvidia chief Jensen Huang — potent symbols of the business deals that Trump hopes to sign between the world’s biggest economies.
Trump was greeted with a bunch of flowers and then walked along the red carpet, which was lined with 300 Chinese youth in white uniforms chanting “welcome” and waving small Chinese and US flags in unison. While en route to Beijing, Trump said on social media he would “be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic”. Nvidia’s Huang was a surprise late addition to the trip, joining the plane at a stopover in Alaska. China is currently banned under US national security rules from buying the cutting-edge AI chips that the company produces.
But Iran, trade, and Taiwan loom over the highly anticipated meeting, which Trump had already delayed from March because of the war the United States and Israel started in the Middle East.
**- China ‘welcomes’ Trump visit -** Visiting China for the first time since 2017 during his previous term, Trump is expected to receive a lavish welcome from Chinese authorities. Trump and Xi will hold talks at 10:00 am (0200 GMT) on Thursday in Beijing’s opulent Great Hall of the People. The US president will also visit the historic Temple of Heaven, a world heritage site where China’s emperors once prayed for good harvest. The leaders will then enjoy a state banquet in the evening.
On Friday, they are set to have tea and a working lunch before Trump heads home. As he departed the White House, Trump said he expected a “long talk” with Xi about the joint US-Israeli war with Iran, which sells most of its US-sanctioned oil to China. But he also downplayed disagreements, telling reporters that “I don’t think we need any help with Iran” from China and that Xi had been “relatively good” on the topic.
The Chinese foreign ministry said Wednesday it “welcomes” Trump’s visit and that “China stands ready to work with the United States… to expand cooperation and manage differences”. Yet Beijing is growing impatient for peace, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi urging his Pakistani counterpart on Tuesday to step up mediation efforts between Iran and the United States.
**- ‘Big deal’ -** The long-simmering trade war between the two countries will also be top of the agenda, after Trump’s sweeping tariffs last year triggered tit-for-tat levies that exceeded 100 percent. Trump and Xi are set to discuss extending a one-year tariff truce, which the two leaders reached during their last meeting in South Korea in October, although a deal is far from certain. China’s controls on rare earth and agriculture exports are also expected to be on the menu.
The tense buildup to the summit was already visible on the streets of Beijing, with police monitoring major intersections and checking the ID cards of passengers on the metro, AFP journalists saw. “It’s definitely a big deal,” said Wen Wen, a 24-year-old woman travelling from the eastern city of Nanjing, when asked by AFP about Trump’s visit. Trump has repeatedly touted a strong personal relationship with Xi, which he insisted on Monday would prevent a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the self-ruled democracy claimed by Beijing.
While Trump said on Monday he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, the move marks a departure from historic US insistence that it will not consult Beijing on its support to the island. His trip will be closely scrutinised by Taiwan and Asian allies for any sign of weakening US support.
– Danny KEMP and Peter CATTERALL
© 2024 AFP
