Updated May 14, 2026, 11:58 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump got a grand welcome in Tiananmen Square from Chinese President Xi Jinping that included a red carpet arrival, boisterous flower-and-flag-waving schoolchildren and a 21-gun salute, as he officially began a two-day visit to Beijing.
“That was an honor like few I’ve ever seen been before,” Trump marveled on May 14 in opening remarks at his talks with Xi a short time later.
Hours later, as he delivered a toast in the Great Hall of the People, where he was a the guest of honor at a state banquet, Trump was still buoyant. “It really was a magnificent welcome,” he said. “Like none other.”
Standing under a pagoda-style roof and in front a sign welcoming him to the country in English and Chinese, Trump extended formal invitation to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to come to the White House on Sept. 24 for a reciprocal visit.
Guests at the VIP dinner chowed down on a menu included lobster in tomato soup, crispy beef ribs, Beijing roast duck, slow-Cooked salmon in mustard sauce, pan-fried pork bun and a trumpet shell-shaped pastry, Tiramisu and ice cream for dessert.
Here are the top moments from Trump’s visit to Beijing so far:
The VIP list
First lady Melania Trump did not make the trip to China with her husband. Instead, he was joined by his middle son Eric, daughter-in-law Lara, several Cabinet secretaries and roughly a dozen of the nation’s most influential CEOs.
The list included Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook and NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, and the heads of other companies that are major players in China.
Trump said in the public portion of the meeting that he asked the CEOs of the top 30 countries in the world to join him, all of whom he said agreed. “I didn’t want the second or the third in the company, I wanted only the top,” Trump said. “And they’re here today to pay respects to you and to China.”
Business leaders were tight-lipped on what was discussed after reporters were kicked out.
“Many good things,” Musk said. Cook gave a peace sign and a thumbs up. “Meetings went well,” Huang declared. “Mr. Xi and President Trump were incredible.”
Pageantry on display
After the meeting, Xi took Trump to the Temple of Heaven, one of China’s most elaborate religious sites.
The cultural stop was not as opulent as the one that Trump and Xi made on Trump’s first visit to China as president in 2017. Xi at the time gave the president and first lady a private tour of the Forbidden City, an ancient royal palace that’s one of the most recognizable sites in China, and delighted them with a special performance of the Peking Opera on that visit.
Trump groused last year about a massive military parade Xi hosted with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, accusing them of conspiring against America.
But he said he was pleased with the spectacle he witnessed on his arrival, which included a military review. “I was particularly impressed by those children,” Trump told Xi in the formal talks. “The military is obvious. But those children were amazing.”
The apparent symbolism was not lost on Trump, who said the happy children “represent so much” about China’s future.
“There are those that say this is maybe the biggest summit ever. They can never remember anything like it,” Trump declared. “I can say in the United States, people aren’t talking about anything else.”
Tense talks on Taiwan
In public, Trump praised Xi, telling him, “you’re a great leader,” and “it’s an honor” to be his friend. Behind the scenes, the two had what appeared to be tense talks about Taiwan, the independently-governed territory that China considers its own.
Chinese state media outlet Xinhua said that Xi said told Trump that Taiwan is “the most important issue” in the U.S.-China relationship. The outlet added that Xi told Trump that “if it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability.”
“Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy, Xi said, emphasizing that “‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water,” according to Xinhua.
The stern warning followed the passage in Taiwan of a $25 billion bill that will allow the island to buy missiles and other arms from the United States. Trump’s administration has already approved, but not shipped, $11 billion worth of the weapons. Trump suggested this week that he’s open to blocking future sales.
“I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi. President Xi would like us not to,” Trump said on May 11. “That’s one of the many things that I’ll be talking to him about.”
Trump declined during his Temple of Heaven tour on May 14 to say what he and Xi discussed in private.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung referred reporters traveling with the president to an official readout of the meeting that made no mention of Taiwan. The White House statement said they talked about Iran.
In an interview with NBC on the “Today” show, Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Taiwan came up. But he said the sale of weapons “did not feature prominently” during Trump’s meeting with Xi.
“U.S. policy on the issue of Taiwan is unchanged as of today,” Rubio said.
In his toast banquet toast, Trump called the overall discussions “extremely positive and productive” and said they would continue over dinner.
“We’ve had a fantastic relationship. When there were difficulties, we worked it out,” Trump said. “We’re going to have a fantastic future together.”
Warm words and coded messages
Xi during his toast called it a “great honor” to host Trump. “This is a historic visit,” the Chinese leader said through a translator, noting it marks the start of China’s 15th five-year plan on economic and social development and the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
“The people of China and the United States are both great peoples,” Xi said. “Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand. We can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.”
In his remarks, Trump invoked Chinese merchants’ nickname for American traders two centuries ago as the “new people” and said that, “Two and half centuries later that first connection has grown into one of the most consequential relationships in world history.”
It was an uncharacteristically subtle touch for the typically verbose Trump, who read from a prepared notes, did not ad lib and was a departure from the hostile tone he took during a messy trade fight with China last year.
In Beijing, Trump chose to lean into their cultural connections, saying that while China has adopted “basketball and blue jeans,” Chinese restaurants in America outnumber the five-largest fast-food chains.
“I’d now like to raise a glass, and propose a toast to the rich and enduring ties between the American and Chinese people. It’s a very special relationship,” Trump said, invoking a level of affection the U.S. typically reserves for its closest allies. I want to thank you again. This has been an amazing period of time.”
Contributing: Joey Garrison
