Shafaqna Pakistan: US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, accompanied by a high-profile business delegation including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Elon Musk, as he began a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump, who is making the first visit by a US president to China in nearly a decade, said he would press Xi to “open up” the Chinese market to American companies. The trip is aimed at securing business deals, preserving a fragile trade truce with China, and boosting domestic approval ratings amid tensions linked to his confrontation with Iran.
The delegation reportedly includes executives from firms seeking to resolve outstanding regulatory issues in China, including Nvidia, which has faced hurdles in obtaining approval to sell its advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips in the country.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would ask President Xi, “a leader of extraordinary distinction,” to open up China so American businesses could “work their magic,” adding that this would be his “very first request.”
Responding to the remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing was ready to “expand cooperation, manage differences, and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world.”
Trump’s two days of meetings will include a grand reception at The Great Hall of the People, a tour of UNESCO heritage site Temple of Heaven and a state banquet.
Apart from trade, the talks will cover a host of sensitive subjects from the Iran war to US arms sales to Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China.
Trump is widely expected to encourage China to convince Tehran to make a deal with Washington to end the conflict, though he has said he did not think he would need its help.
China reiterated on Wednesday its strong opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, with the status of a $14-billion package awaiting Trump’s approval still unclear.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the US’ maximalist approach, provocative rhetoric, and lack of good faith and sincerity were the primary obstacles standing between the current state of conflict and any prospect of a definitive end to the war and a potential agreement, according to Mehr News Agency.
Araghchi made the remarks during a meeting with Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, Deputy Foreign Minister of Norway, who travelled to Tehran for the talks.
During the meeting, Araghchi confirmed that Iran, as a coastal state of the Strait of Hormuz, is currently in consultation to develop regulations governing arrangements for the strait based on international law. The statement formalises what senior Iranian officials have clearly signalled in recent weeks — that Tehran intends to establish a new legal order for the waterway.
Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik underscored the necessity of establishing durable peace and stability in the region and announced Norway’s readiness to contribute in strengthening diplomacy, providing consultations on maritime safety, and supporting environmental protection efforts.
Source: Express Tribune
