- May 13, 2026
Trump Leaves For China Ahead Of High-Stakes Talks With Xi, In First Visit Since 2017
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A White House-linked social media account posted ‘WHEELS UP FOR CHINA!’ as Trump departed aboard Air Force One.
A screen shows news footage of the bilateral meeting between Chinese President Xi and US President Trump on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea’s Busan. (IMAGE: AFP FILE)
US President Donald Trump departed for China on Tuesday aboard Air Force One ahead of high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. The visit marks the first trip by a sitting US president to China since Trump’s previous visit in 2017.
A post from the White House-linked Rapid Response 47 account on X said: “WHEELS UP FOR CHINA! 🛫” alongside visuals of Trump boarding Air Force One. Another post from the account said: “POTUS departs for China, where he’ll make the first state visit by a U.S. President since his last visit in 2017 🛫”.
Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday, with formal talks with Xi set for Thursday and Friday. The packed itinerary is expected to include a state banquet and a tea reception.
Trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies are expected to dominate discussions. Issues related to Taiwan, China’s rare earth export controls and broader economic ties are also likely to feature prominently during the meetings.
The ongoing conflict involving Iran is also expected to be high on the agenda. According to reports, Trump has been pressing China to use its influence with Tehran to push for a diplomatic agreement with Washington and help de-escalate the conflict. China remains one of Iran’s key economic partners and a major buyer of Iranian oil exports.
The visit comes amid continued friction between Washington and Beijing over strategic and geopolitical issues. AFP journalists reported heightened security measures in Beijing ahead of Trump’s arrival, with police monitoring key intersections and checking identification cards at metro stations.
Trade ties between Beijing and Washington have been fraught in recent years, with the two sides currently maintaining a one-year truce in a blistering tariff war reached at Trump and Xi’s last meeting in South Korea in October.
China’s major surplus in trade with the United States has long irked Trump, who slapped tariffs on the country’s goods during his first term in office.
Trump will be accompanied in China by a large group of top US business executives, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook, the White House has said.
The highly anticipated summit comes at an uncertain time for China’s economy, which has struggled in recent years with sluggish domestic spending and a protracted debt crisis in the once-booming property sector.
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
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