Updated May 13, 2026, 11:55 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump has landed in China for a discussion with the country’s president, bringing with him over 10 U.S. business leaders and plans to discuss China-U.S. relations, world peace, and development.
According to Trump, he is in China for an “incredible gathering of the world’s greatest businessmen/women” and plans to make a plea with President Xi Jinping.
“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level,” Trump wrote in a May 12 Truth Social post.
He arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Wednesday, May 13. As China’s Vice President Han Zheng greeted Trump and other business owners who joined him on the trip, music from a live band blasted in the background.
Here’s what we know.
How long will Trump be in China?
China’s president invited Trump to the country, where he will stay from May 13 to May 15, per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.
He was originally supposed to go to China in April, but the trip was delayed as the war in Iran carried on.
Who’s going on the trip?
Per Trump’s Truth Social post on Tuesday, May 12, joining his trip to China are:
- Jensen Huang (NVIDIA)
- Elon Musk (Space X, X, and Tesla)
- Tim Cook (Apple)
- Larry Fink (BlackRock)
- Stephen Schwarzmann (Blackstone Inc.)
- Kelly Ortberg (Boeing)
- Brian Sikes (Cargill)
- Jane Fraser (Citi)
- Larry Culp (GE Aerospace)
- David Solomon (Goldman Sachs)
- Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron)
- Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm)
Past China-U.S. relations have been up and down
As one of America’s top economic competitors, China has worked closely with officials from U.S. adversaries Moscow and Tehran. In the U.S., politicians have made efforts to rely less on Chinese products since the coronavirus pandemic, and in 2025, Trump and Xi were part of a lengthy trade war.
At a news conference in China on May 13, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Guo Jiakun, stressed the importance of heads-of-state diplomacy.
“We welcome President Trump’s state visit to China,” he said. “During the visit, the two heads of state will have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations and world peace and development.”
He said China is “ready to work with the U.S.” to ensure the countries can cooperate with each other and work out their differences.
The goal, he said, is to “provide more stability and certainty for a transforming and volatile world.”
Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Francesca Chambers, and Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her atsdmartin@usatoday.com.
