Trump Arrives in Beijing for Xi Talks on Tariffs, Taiwan and Iran

Trump Begins China Visit Ahead of May 14 Summit With Xi

Trump Lands in Beijing as US-China Tensions Persist

Jensen Huang Joins Trip, Fueling H200 Supply Speculation

President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on May 13 for a two-night, three-day state visit to China.

Air Force One landed at Beijing Capital International Airport at about 7:49 p.m., according to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency. Senior Chinese officials were at the airport to greet Trump.

It is the first visit to China by a US president since Trump’s trip in November 2017 during his first term, a gap of nine years. The visit comes with tensions between Washington and Beijing still high over tariffs, Taiwan and the Middle East.

Trump will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the morning of May 14 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two leaders are set to discuss trade and tariffs, as well as Taiwan and Iran.

After the summit, Trump and Xi will tour Beijing’s Temple of Heaven Park together. They will then attend a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in the evening.

On May 15, the final day of the visit, the two leaders will continue discussions over tea and lunch in a smaller setting for working-level talks. Trump will then depart for the US after wrapping up the three-day trip.

Separately, Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang joined Trump’s China trip after the visit had already begun, fueling speculation that prospects may be improving for supplies of the H200 artificial intelligence chip to China.

The New York Times reported that Huang was not aboard when Air Force One first took off, but later boarded the plane in Alaska. He had not been included on the list of business leaders the White House had released for the China trip.

After learning Huang was not on Air Force One, Trump called him directly and asked him to join, the newspaper reported. Huang then traveled to Alaska and boarded the plane. Trump later wrote on social media that “Jensen is now on Air Force One.”

The Trump administration has in principle blocked exports to China of high-performance chips such as the H200. Still, it said late last year that it would ease some restrictions if Nvidia paid 25% of its profits as a fee. China has continued to promote domestic chips as part of its technology self-reliance drive and has delayed approval for Chinese companies to buy H200 chips.

Kim Eun-jung, Beijing correspondent, Hankyung.com, kej@hankyung.com