Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump are meeting on Thursday in Beijing for a U.S.-China summit where few breakthroughs are expected on divisive issues ranging from the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.
Trump hopes to focus talks on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes.
Xi will likely bring up America’s decision to sell weapons to Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory. Trump in December authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, but has not yet moved forward with delivery.
Stability in the relationship is the main goal of the two-day summit. Trump is expected to leave just after midday Friday after a final private meeting with Xi.
The war with Iran is also likely to be a key topic. Ahead of the meetings, Trump hoped China would use its considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to U.S. terms to end the two-month old war or reopen the critical Strait of Hormuz, but he has tempered those calls ahead of the summit.
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Trump kicks off the busiest part of his China trip
The president arrived in Beijing late on Wednesday. On Thursday, the summit begins in earnest.
China’s Xi will officially welcome Trump during a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, followed by bilateral talks.
Then there’s some cultural programming — a visit to the Temple of Heaven — before a state banquet capping the day.
This trip is expected to be long on pageantry and symbolism but neither side has yet offered concrete details on what Trump will come away with.
Xi and Trump will be meeting at the Great Hall of the People
The Great Hall of the People was built in 1959 for the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. It’s a massive structure, some 171,800 square meters or 42.5 acres, on the western side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
This is where China hosts most of its foreign dignitaries, as well as key events like the annual meeting of its ceremonial legislature. The hall covers an area bigger than the Forbidden Palace.
Construction of the building was completed in a quick ten months, and mostly with manpower. China was not heavily industrialized and the chief engineer for the project at the time, Yang Sixin, told state media that “the bricks that needed to go up were all transported by hand, carried in baskets with a pole. I’ve also carried the bricks up myself.”
While the structure’s size and towering structure is similar to buildings found in the Soviet style, its decorations inside were designed by referencing Chinese history, such as floral designs from the Tang dynasty.
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