Donald Trump touched down in Beijing on Wednesday night for what amounts to a crucial reset between the world's two largest economies, a visit unfolding against a backdrop of geopolitical tension, energy crisis, and the kind of symbolic pageantry that defines state diplomacy at this level.
The contrast with his previous trip nearly a decade ago is stark. When Trump visited China in 2017, Beijing's authorities scrambled to clean the air, ordering factories to halt production and banning heavily polluting vehicles from roads. This time, no such measures materialized. The capital greeted him with an air quality index over 150, well above World Health Organization guidelines, shrouding the city in grey smog. It's a telling detail: a visit from the US president is no longer reason enough for China to pause its economy.
The change reflects how much the relationship between the two powers has shifted. China's aggressive campaign against air pollution has slowed in recent years, partly because the country already achieved significant improvements. Last year, Beijing's average PM2.5 levels dropped below 30 for the first time since records began. But the absence of special efforts for Trump's arrival signals something else: China isn't performing for Washington the way it once did.
The formal summit kicked off Thursday morning at the Great Hall of the People, where Xi Jinping was scheduled to officially welcome Trump at 10am local time. After bilateral talks and cultural programming including a visit to the Temple of Heaven, the day concludes with a state banquet. Neither side has offered concrete details on what either leader expects to leave the table with, though the visit is expected to be heavy on symbolism.
Trump brought more than just diplomats. His delegation includes a roster of major tech and business leaders: Elon Musk, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Apple's Tim Cook, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Meta's Dina Powell McCormick, and Larry Fink of BlackRock. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and senior adviser Stephen Miller are also aboard. The presence of these executives signals Trump's intent to frame the visit as a business opportunity, not merely a diplomatic exercise.
Three major issues loom over the talks. The first is the Iran war and its ripple effects on the global economy. Trump has said he doesn't need Beijing's help resolving the conflict, but the underlying concern is real: roughly half of China's crude oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and a global recession resulting from the Middle East conflict poses a serious threat to an economy that depends heavily on exports. About one fifth of China's GDP comes from exports, making a worldwide economic downturn particularly dangerous for Beijing.
Trade and tariffs remain contentious. The tariff question has hovered over US-China relations for years, and Trump's return to office has only intensified the stakes. Restrictive trade policies could disrupt supply chains and deepen economic friction between the two powers.
Taiwan is the third flashpoint. The island's status has been a source of tension for decades, and with Trump back in the White House, questions about US commitment to the island's defense have resurfaced. The visit offers both leaders a chance to signal their positions, whether through words or deliberate silences.
The summit was originally scheduled for late March or early April but was postponed due to the Iran war, reflecting how volatile the current geopolitical moment has become. Trump's last state visit to China occurred in 2017, making this the first such visit by a sitting US president in nearly a decade.
One striking moment during the run-up to the summit: Trump did not visit the press cabin aboard Air Force One en route to Beijing, a break from his typical habit of informal exchanges with reporters. Whether that reflected White House strategy to keep him on message or simply a preference to spend time with Elon Musk remains unclear.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's state visit to China is less about what either side announces and more about whether they can find any common ground in a world that's spinning faster and angrier than the last time these two leaders sat across from each other."
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