President Trump Arrives in Beijing for High-Stakes Summit With Xi Jinping as China Pushes Pakistan Mediation on Iran
President Donald Trump landed in Beijing on Thursday morning local time for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, arriving amid fresh diplomatic activity from Beijing aimed at facilitating peace talks between the United States and Iran.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone call with
Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday, urging Pakistan to “maintain confidence” and “step up mediation efforts” between Washington and Tehran.
The discussion came just hours before Trump’s arrival and highlighted China’s interest in helping resolve tensions over the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional stability.
Wang commended Pakistan for encouraging dialogue and assisting in extending a provisional ceasefire, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry summary.
Beijing expressed hope that Pakistan would continue its role,
With China pledging its own support to help restore regional peace — described as a common aspiration of the international community.
The timing of the call underscored the complex geopolitical backdrop to Trump’s visit. Iran has been a central point of friction, with recent U. S. actions in the region drawing international attention.
Pakistan has served as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington, despite occasional strains over Iranian military aircraft using Pakistani airfields.
Trump’s delegation includes a high-profile group of American
Business leaders, such as SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who joined the trip as a last-minute addition during a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.
Trump confirmed Huang’s presence on Truth Social, countering earlier media reports and describing the group as “the World’s Greatest Businessmen/women proudly going to China.”
In a statement, Trump said his first request to Xi would be to further open China to U. S. businesses, calling it an idea that would benefit both nations.
He listed several other executives on the trip, including Tim
Cook of Apple, Larry Fink of BlackRock, and leaders from Boeing, Cargill, Citigroup, GE Aerospace, Goldman Sachs, Micron, and Qualcomm.
The welcoming ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport featured a military honor guard, a military band, and approximately 300 Chinese youth chanting “Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!” while waving miniature American and Chinese flags in coordinated formations.
Trump deplaned at 8:08 a. m. ET and was greeted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, U. S. Ambassador David Perdue, Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng, and Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu.
Trump has no additional public events scheduled for the
Remainder of the day beyond the arrival. Formal bilateral talks and a state banquet with Xi are planned for Thursday evening, with additional meetings expected on Friday.
Key topics expected to dominate the agenda include trade imbalances, market access for U. S. companies, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and the ongoing situation with Iran.
The White House has emphasized the importance of stabilizing the U. S. -China economic relationship while addressing national security concerns.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope that
The Beijing meetings will include discussions on ending the war in Ukraine, though it remains unclear whether that topic will be raised.
The visit marks Trump’s first trip to China since 2017 and occurs at a sensitive time in bilateral relations. Both sides have spent months preparing, with Beijing prioritizing U. S. policy on Taiwan and Washington focusing on trade and energy security.
Analysts note that China faces economic pressures, including weak domestic demand and concerns over potential tariffs, while the Trump administration seeks concrete commitments on market access and reduced dependence on Iranian oil.
The presence of top U. S. business executives signals the
Administration’s strategy of leveraging private-sector expertise in diplomatic engagement.
No immediate outcomes from the first day’s discussions were released beyond the White House statement.
Further updates are expected as the summit continues, with the world watching closely for any breakthroughs on trade, security, or regional stability.