U.S. President arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader at a restless moment for a world worried about war, trade and artificial intelligence.
The visit occurs , as has been weighed down by the U.S. and Israel鈥檚 war with Iran and rising inflation as a consequence of that conflict. The president is seeking a win by signing deals with China to buy more American food and aircraft, saying he鈥檒l be talking with Xi about trade 鈥渕ore than anything else.鈥�
Here’s the latest:
Trump had personally invited Nvidia鈥檚 Huang on the China trip
A surprise appearance on the Anchorage tarmac as Air Force One refueled en route to Beijing was Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who wasn鈥檛 initially included on the manifest of corporate executives accompanying Trump to China.
The president had realized through news reports that Huang, with whom he is close, wasn鈥檛 on the trip. So he personally called the CEO on Tuesday and invited him to join, according to a person with knowledge of the discussion. The person was granted anonymity to discuss a private conversation.
鈥淐NBC incorrectly reported that the Great Jensen Huang, of Nvidia, was not invited to the incredible gathering of the World鈥檚 Greatest Businessmen/women proudly going to China,鈥� Trump said on social media as the presidential plane traveled from Anchorage to Beijing. 鈥淚n actuality, Jensen is currently on Air Force One and, unless I ask him to leave, which is highly unlikely, CNBC鈥檚 reporting is incorrect or, as they say in politics, FAKE NEWS!鈥�
鈥� Seung Min Kim
Trump is also expected to visit the Temple of Heaven on Thursday
That鈥檚 where Chinese emperors once prayed for bumper crops.
And Trump will take part in a formal banquet Thursday.
Trump鈥檚 arrival is trending on Chinese social media platform Weibo
A video posted by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showing Trump stepping out of the plane and walking down the stairs had more than 18,000 likes in less than 30 minutes.
More than 1,300 comments were made in response to the post. Some welcomed Trump to China and others wrote: 鈥減eaceful coexistence, win-win cooperation.鈥�
The status of Taiwan will be a major topic
China is displeased with U.S. plans to sell weapons to the self-governing island the Chinese government claims as part of its own territory.
Trump told reporters Monday he鈥檇 be discussing with Xi an for Taiwan the U.S. administration authorized in December but hasn鈥檛 yet begun fulfilling. The arms package is the largest ever approved for Taiwan.
But the U.S. leader has , an approach that鈥檚 raising questions about whether Trump could be open to dialing back support for .
At the same time, Taiwan 鈥� as the world鈥檚 leading chipmaker 鈥� has become essential for the development of AI, with the U.S. importing more goods so far this year from Taiwan than China. Trump has sought to use Biden-era programs and his own deals to bring more chipmaking to America.
Trump pauses to take in the elaborate welcome scene in Beijing
Three hundred youngsters waved miniature American and Chinese flags in front of themselves and then over their head in unison.
鈥淲elcome, welcome! Warm welcome!鈥� the children chanted in Chinese.
Trump greeted dignitaries after deplaning, then stopped and grinned, taking in the scene.
He didn鈥檛 answer questions, instead climbing in a limo on the way to his hotel.
The president has nothing more on his public schedule until Thursday.
Following him off the plane were Trump鈥檚 son, Eric, and Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, as well as assorted travelers, including Space X chief Elon Musk.
The Chinese offered Trump a pomp-filled welcome
A red carpet was rolled out for him after Air Force One landed.
The president was to be greeted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng; Xie Feng, China鈥檚 ambassador to Washington; Ma Zhaoxu, executive vice minister of foreign affairs; as well as the U.S. envoy to Beijing, David Perdue, according to the White House.
The welcoming ceremony includes some 300 Chinese youths, a military honor guard and a military band.
The meat of Trump鈥檚 summit in China won鈥檛 happen until Thursday
That鈥檚 when the leaders will hold bilateral talks and a formal banquet.
The Trump administration hopes to begin the process of establishing a Board of Trade with China to address differences between the countries. The board could help prevent ignited last year after Trump鈥檚 tariff hikes, an action China countered through its control of rare earth minerals. That led to a one-year truce last October.
Trump arrives in Beijing ahead of meetings with Xi
Trump has touched down in Beijing for his summit with Xi Jinping.
Trump has no public events beyond his arrival on Wednesday鈥檚 schedule, but is set to meet with Xi a series of times on Thursday and Friday.
U.S. and China have 鈥渃andid鈥� exchanges in South Korea鈥檚 trade talks, CCTV says
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent engaged in 鈥渃andid, in-depth and constructive鈥� exchanges on resolving economic and trade issues of mutual concern and further expanding practical cooperation, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Wednesday.
The officials led the trade talks between the world鈥檚 two biggest economies in South Korea, hours before Trump鈥檚 arrival in Beijing.
CCTV said they were guided by the important consensus reached by the heads of state of both countries, and upheld the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.
Nvidia CEO is late-announced addition to Trump鈥檚 trip
The White House said Huang鈥檚 schedule hadn鈥檛 permitted his coming, but then changed, clearing the way for him to make the trip.
The last-minute addition inspired online commentary and memes on the Chinese internet.
Those including on Xiaohongshu and Weibo, where people shared manipulated images of Huang clinging to Air Force One with his bare hands.
Musk, Cook and other prominent US executives invited to join Trump on trip to China
These prominent U.S. executives from Big Tech to agriculture have been invited to join Trump on his trip to China, according to a White House official:
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Soaring inflation and plummeting economy test Iran鈥檚 ability to withstand war and US blockade
Iran鈥檚 grip on the Strait of Hormuz is throttling and inflicting , but the struggles of the Islamic Republic鈥檚 own economy are testing its ability to withstand and .
Iranians have been hit by spiraling prices for food, medicine and other goods. At the same time, the country has seen mass job losses and business closures caused by and the government鈥檚 monthslong .
The economic cost of the 鈥渉as been very substantial and unprecedented for Iran,鈥� said Hadi Kahalzadeh, an Iranian economist and research fellow at Brandeis University.
But Iran has withstood and sanctions and its capacity to adapt has not been dismantled, Kahalzadeh said.
The International Monetary Fund has predicted the Iranian economy will shrink by about 6 percentage points in the next year.
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