President Trump landed in Beijing on Wednesday night native time to meet with Chinese language President Xi Jinping at an important second in Mr. Trump’s presidency amid the warfare with Iran and uncertainty concerning the financial system.
“We are the two superpowers,” Mr. Trump informed reporters as he departed the White Home on Tuesday. “We are the strongest nation on Earth by way of navy. China’s thought of second.”
Mr. Trump was greeted by Chinese language officers on the airport in Beijing for an arrival ceremony. The U.S. president and his entourage descended the steps of AIr Power One and had been greeted by China’s vp Han Zheng, international affairs minister Ma Zhaoxu, and ambassadors from each nations.
As they walked the purple carpet, 300 younger Chinese language women and men waved Chinese language and American flags in unison.
Evan Vucci / REUTERS
“We’ve got loads of issues to debate,” Mr. Trump mentioned earlier than he left. “I would not say Iran is one in every of them, to be trustworthy with you, as a result of we now have Iran very a lot beneath management.”
Beijing and Washington are 12 hours aside.
Mr. Trump has made clear he intends to push Xi to open up China to extra American enterprise, and he’s bringing a delegation of enterprise leaders with him to China. Elon Musk was noticed aboard Air Power One, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang (who boarded in Anchorage), in addition to director Brett Ratner, who directed the “Melania” documentary. Apple’s Tim Cook dinner can also be anticipated, in addition to different CEOs.
Mr. Trump’s son Eric, the manager vp of the Trump Group, and his spouse, Lara, had been additionally on Air Power One, though a spokesperson for the Trump Group mentioned in an announcement that Eric Trump wouldn’t be doing enterprise on the journey.
Earlier than he left, Mr. Trump spoke to New York Metropolis radio host Sid Rosenberg, touting the “good relationship” the U.S. has with China and saying there are “loads of benefits to us getting alongside.”
“If we did not get alongside, you’d find out about it, however loads of benefits,” Mr. Trump added.
He posted on social media forward of the journey that he would give Xi a “huge, fats hug” after they meet.
Mr. Trump informed reporters earlier than boarding Air Power One which he did not want China’s assist with the warfare or the financial system — though China is the largest purchaser of Iran’s oil and boatloads are trapped behind Iran’s blockade within the Strait of Hormuz.
When requested by a reporter how a lot People’ funds are “motivating you to make a deal,” Mr. Trump responded: “Not even slightly bit.”
“I do not take into consideration People’ monetary scenario,” Mr. Trump mentioned. “I do not take into consideration anyone. I take into consideration one factor: we can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
Matt Pottinger, who served as deputy nationwide adviser within the first Trump administration and who now runs the China program on the Basis for Protection of Democracies, informed CBS Information this assembly is “an try by either side to maintain a detente.”
“Detente doesn’t imply a cooperative relationship, nevertheless it does imply a much less confrontational relationship within the close to time period,” Pottinger mentioned.
Mr. Trump desires to forestall China from implementing its leverage over uncommon earths, and Beijing is in search of some tariff aid, Pottinger mentioned. However a lot of the assembly will give attention to issues that either side do not see eye to eye on, equivalent to Taiwan, synthetic intelligence and Iran, he mentioned. Beijing, Pottinger mentioned, is attempting to trick the U.S. into giving them equally superior AI.
“For essentially the most half the actual fact the assembly is going on is the primary deliverable,” Pottinger mentioned.
