Trump, Xi begin summit in first U.S. presidential trip to Beijing in nearly a decade

The relationship between the two countries is going to be “better than ever before,” Trump told Xi in his opening remarks, according to official broadcast footage. Trump said the two leaders have known each other personally for longer than any other U.S. or Chinese president.

Speaking just ahead of Trump, Xi noted the global attention on the meeting, and said a major question for the two countries was whether they could avoid the “Thucydides Trap,” a reference to how tensions historically between a rising and ruling power have often resulted in war.

The two presidents are set to have multiple discussions through midday Friday.

Iran, Taiwan and artificial intelligence are among the many topics the two sides are expected to discuss, on top of tariffs and rare earths. The last time a sitting U.S. president visited China was in 2017.

On Thursday, Xi walked down the stairs of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to shake hands with Trump, according to official broadcast footage. The U.S. president first shook hands with Chinese officials, followed by Xi greeting the U.S. delegation.

China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi and Zheng Shanjie, head of the economic planning agency, were among the Chinese representatives, the footage showed.

The U.S. contingent included Secretary of State Marco Rubio as well as business executives such as Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.

This is a developing story; please refresh for updates.