US President Donald Trump on Thursday held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during his two-day official visit to China. The meeting focused on major issues affecting relations between the United States and China, including trade disputes, technology competition, and regional security concerns. The discussions followed an official welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, where Xi formally received Trump at the start of the highly anticipated diplomatic engagement. The two leaders exchanged a warm handshake before Trump met members of Xi’s cabinet.

Trump also introduced members of the US delegation, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, to the Chinese President. In addition, Trump was honoured with a ceremonial guard of honour presented by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Honour Guard Battalion.

A state banquet in Trump’s honour was scheduled to be held later in the evening. The US President arrived in China on Wednesday for the high-level summit and was welcomed by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, alongside US Ambassador to China David Perdue. This marks Trump’s first state visit to China since his previous trip in 2017. The two leaders last met face-to-face during talks in Busan, South Korea, in October last year.

Ahead of Trump’s arrival, the Chinese Embassy in the United States reiterated Beijing’s stance on several sensitive topics in bilateral relations. In a post on X, the embassy stated that the “four red lines” in China-US relations should not be crossed. These included the Taiwan issue, democracy and human rights, political systems and development paths, and China’s right to development.