13.05.2026 17:50
U.S. President Donald Trump made an official visit to China after 8.5 years. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The delegation also included representatives from 17 major American companies, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Jensen Huang. The critical meetings will address the Middle East conflict and trade tensions.
US President Donald Trump is visiting China, his country's strategic rival, after 8.5 years, at a time when the fragile ceasefire process in the Middle East war has still not been resolved.
According to Xinhua, Trump arrived in the capital Beijing with a large delegation of political aides and representatives of American companies for a 3-day visit.
FIRST VISIT IN 8.5 YEARS
Trump is visiting China after 8.5 years. No leader-level visit to China had been made during the previous President Joe Biden's term. The last leader visit from the US to this country was in 2017 during Trump's first term.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller are also accompanying Trump on the visit. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent moved to Beijing after economy and trade negotiations with China in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
BEIJING CAMPAIGN FROM GIANT COMPANIES
Trump's delegation included representatives from 17 American companies, among them Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Nvidia founder Jensen Huang. Trump's wife Melania Trump did not join the visit, while his son Eric Trump and daughter-in-law Lara Trump were in the delegation. For Trump, who will spend today resting, an official ceremony will be held at Tiananmen Square tomorrow. Trump will then hold bilateral and delegation-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS ON THE AGENDA
Trump is visiting China under the shadow of the war that started with US and Israeli attacks on Iran and escalated with Iran's retaliations. The visit, previously planned for March 31 to April 2, had been postponed due to Trump needing to attend to developments in Iran. The discussions are expected to address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which is critical for global energy trade.
TRADE TENSION ON THE TABLE
It is stated that economic and trade disputes between the US and China will also be among the important topics of the discussions. Relations between the two countries have been strained by the Washington administration's tariff increases and technology restrictions, while China's control moves over rare earth elements have deepened the crisis. The parties held a series of negotiations last year in Geneva, London, Stockholm, Madrid, and Kuala Lumpur.
TEMPORARY AGREEMENT HAD BEEN REACHED
After the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea on October 30, 2025, the parties had reached a temporary compromise on economic disputes. The two countries agreed to postpone mutual additional tariffs for one year, China promised to control exports of fentanyl and precursor chemicals, and the US reduced the additional customs tariff imposed on China. Before Trump's visit, US and Chinese economy delegations had met again in Seoul today.