On the 13th at night, U.S. President Donald Trump, who arrived in Beijing, China, met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 14th ahead of the U.S.-China summit.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, at 10 a.m. local time that day at the east gate plaza of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, a ceremony was held to welcome President Trump's state visit to China. Xi first emerged from the Great Hall of the People. At about 10:03, the presidential vehicle carrying Trump arrived at the Great Hall of the People under escort.
After getting out of the vehicle, President Trump exchanged a brief handshake and greeting with Xi, then greeted the Chinese leadership in turn with handshakes. Xi then shook hands with them as well, and the two leaders moved side by side to review the honor guard. A children's welcome event followed. Trump smiled and waved to the children. The two leaders then walked together to the Great Hall of the People for the summit while talking, and after stepping onto the stairs, they continued their conversation while looking together toward the east gate plaza.
Meeting for the first time in about six months since their summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting on Oct. 30 last year, the two leaders were to sit down at the summit table after about a 20-minute welcome ceremony. Semiconductor and rare earth issues tied to trade and advanced technology controls, the situation in the Middle East, and Taiwan were expected to be discussed broadly. Earlier, as he set off for China, Trump said he would "ask Xi to open up China."
China's state-run Global Times said of the summit that in this meeting, evaluated as "historic," the two leaders would shake hands once again. It said this would be a milestone signaling a new start. Xinhua, introducing the businesspeople who accompanied Trump to China, conveyed expectations for cooperation between the two countries.
Arriving in Beijing at about 7:49 p.m. the previous day, Trump began a two-day state visit with the welcome ceremony. After the summit ends, in the afternoon the two will tour the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan), known as a symbol of order and stability and as the "emperor's space," and in the evening they will attend a state dinner together. On the final day, the 15th, the two leaders will continue with a tea meeting and a luncheon.