Trump-Xi Meeting: ‘Friendship photo’, bilateral tea, and state banquet – Inside US President’s China itinerary

The Associated Press reported that Trump’s visit to China is largely focused on trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and global security issues. The visit marks an important moment in US-China relations as Trump prepares for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid rising geopolitical tensions and concerns over the global economy.

“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,” AP quoted Trump as saying.

Trump’s China itinerary: Bilateral meetings, state banquet and friendship photo

Trump during his ongoing visit to China is expected to hold several high-level meetings with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping over the next two days.

According to the White House schedule cited by the Bloomberg, Trump will officially begin his meetings on Thursday at 10:00 am local time with a formal greeting ceremony alongside Xi Jinping in Beijing. 

Shortly after, at 10:15 am, both leaders will participate in a bilateral meeting where major economic and geopolitical issues are expected to dominate discussions. Later in the evening, Trump will attend a State Banquet hosted by Xi at 6:00 pm local time, Bloomberg reported.

The engagements will continue on Friday with a “Friendship Photo” session between Trump and Xi scheduled for 11:30 am. At 11:40 am, the two leaders will take part in a “Bilateral Tea” meeting before attending a bilateral lunch at 12:15 pm,” as per Bloomberg.

The closely watched meetings are expected to shape the next phase of US-China relations amid ongoing global tensions and economic uncertainty.

Iran war continues to shape Trump’s foreign policy

Even though the China visit is focused heavily on trade, the ongoing Iran conflict remains a major global issue. The war has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, creating concerns over oil and gas supplies and increasing global energy prices. Despite these concerns, Trump downplayed the importance of discussing Iran with China.

“We have a lot of things to discuss. I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had visited Beijing last week, adding to speculation that the issue could still come up informally during the summit.

Why this China visit matters for American voters

Trump’s visit takes place while he faces political pressure at home. Rising inflation and the impact of the US and Israel’s war with Iran have affected public opinion in the United States. The President is hoping to secure major trade agreements with China, especially deals involving American food exports and aircraft sales, according to AP.

Trump said trade would be his main focus during discussions with Xi, adding that he would be talking about trade “more than anything else.”

The Trump administration is also hoping to begin work on a new “Board of Trade” with China. Officials believe the proposed mechanism could help avoid another major trade war between the two countries after tensions escalated last year over tariff hikes and China’s control of rare earth minerals.

Taiwan and technology expected to dominate talks

The issue of Taiwan is also expected to be one of the biggest talking points during the visit. China has objected strongly to planned American weapons sales to Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory, as per AP.

Trump confirmed earlier this week that he plans to discuss the proposed $11 billion US weapons package for Taiwan with Xi. The package was approved in December but has not yet been delivered.

Taiwan’s role in the global semiconductor industry is another key concern. As one of the world’s leading chip producers, Taiwan has become central to the development of artificial intelligence technologies. The US has increasingly relied on imports from Taiwan while also trying to expand domestic chip manufacturing.

Trump says US-China relations will remain strong

Before leaving Washington, Trump expressed confidence about the future of ties between the United States and China. He also mentioned Xi’s planned visit to the US later this year.

“We’re going to have a great relationship for many, many decades to come,” Trump said of the US and China. “As you know, President Xi will be coming here toward the end of the year. So that would be exciting. I only wish we had the ballroom finished,” AP quoted Trump as saying.

Trump also said he expected the discussions with Xi to be “positive.”

This marks the first visit to China by a sitting US president since Donald Trump visited Beijing during his first term in 2017. Since Trump returned to office, relations between the United States and China have remained tense, with both countries engaging in a tariff-driven trade war that saw each side impose retaliatory measures on the other, according to Reuters.