America’s ‘top’ CEOs came to ‘do business’ with China, Trump tells Xi – Firstpost

US President Donald Trump on Thursday told Chinese President Xi Jinping that America’s leading corporate executives had travelled with him to Beijing to deepen trade and economic ties with China, as the two leaders opened a high-stakes summit aimed at stabilising relations between the world’s two largest economies.

Speaking at the start of bilateral talks at the Great Hall of the People, Trump said the White House had invited what he described as the world’s top 30 business leaders for the China trip, adding that all of them had accepted the invitation.

“I didn’t want the second or the third in the company. I wanted only the top, and they’re here today to pay respects to you and to China,” he told Xi.

Trump added that the executives were eager to strengthen commercial engagement with Beijing under what he described as a more balanced trading arrangement.

“They look forward to trade and doing business, and it’s going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf,” he said.

The remarks signalled Trump’s intention to project economic pragmatism despite years of tensions between Washington and Beijing over tariffs, technology restrictions, Taiwan and strategic competition across the Indo-Pacific.

In his opening comments, Trump largely avoided revisiting contentious issues that have strained ties during his yearslong relationship with Xi, including two trade wars, US support for Taiwan and Washington’s concerns over the flow of precursor chemicals from China used in the production of fentanyl.

Trump also did not publicly mention disagreements over the ongoing Iran conflict, even as geopolitical instability continues to weigh on global markets.

Instead, the US president repeatedly praised Xi and emphasised the importance of their personal relationship.

“You’re a great leader, sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true,” Trump said.

He later described the Beijing talks as the “biggest summit ever” and sought to portray the meeting as a turning point in bilateral ties.

“It’s an honor to be with you,” Trump said. “It’s an honor to be your friend and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”

Trump arrived in Beijing earlier on Thursday for a packed programme of meetings and ceremonial events aimed at reinforcing dialogue between the two countries amid a fragile trade truce and broader economic uncertainty.

According to the White House schedule, Trump and Xi are set to hold extended talks at the Great Hall of the People, tour the UNESCO World Heritage site Temple of Heaven and attend a state banquet on Thursday. The two leaders are also expected to share tea and lunch together on Friday.

Joining Trump on the trip is a high-profile group of American business leaders, including billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia. Huang was reportedly
a late addition to the delegation and boarded Air Force One during a refuelling stop in Alaska at Trump’s request.

The presence of prominent CEOs underscores the continuing importance of the Chinese market for major US corporations despite growing calls in Washington for supply-chain diversification and reduced dependence on China.

While Trump has repeatedly framed his China strategy around “reciprocal” trade, Thursday’s tone suggested an effort to stabilise relations and encourage business confidence after years of economic confrontation between Washington and Beijing.