Trump-Xi summit live: US, China leaders to hold talks on trade, tech, Iran

China is displeased with the US’s plans to sell weapons to the self-governing island the Chinese government claims as part of its own territory.

Trump told reporters Monday he’d be discussing with Xi an $11bn weapons package for Taiwan the US administration authourised in December but hasn’t yet begun fulfilling. The arms package is the largest ever approved for Taiwan.

Ranking members of four House committees, meanwhile, urged Trump in a letter on Wednesday morning to proceed with the arms sales to Taiwan and resist any effort by Beijing to “dictate” US policy.

But the US leader has demonstrated greater ambivalence toward Taiwan, an approach that’s raising questions about whether Trump could be open to dialing back support for the island.

At the same time, Taiwan – as the world’s leading chipmaker – has become essential for the development of AI, with the US importing more goods so far this year from Taiwan than China.

Trump is expected to focus heavily on trade with the aim of securing what he can present as economic wins ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Beijing, meanwhile, is expected to press the US to ease restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports and roll back measures limiting China’s access to critical chip-making technology.

Taiwan is expected to be one of the most sensitive issues, with Beijing repeatedly warning that it remains the biggest source of tension in US-China relations.

Beyond bilateral disputes, the two leaders are also expected to discuss the war on Iran, tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and the growing risks linked to artificial intelligence.

Trump landed in China’s capital yesterday, capturing the attention of the Chinese population both online and off.

A red carpet was rolled out for him after his Air Force One plane landed, and his welcoming ceremony included some 300 Chinese youths, a military honour guard and a military band.

The youngsters waved miniature American and Chinese flags in front of themselves and then over their heads in unison as the US president arrived.

“Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!” the children chanted in Chinese.

Meanwhile, a video posted by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showing Trump stepping out of the plane and walking down the stairs had more than 18,000 likes in less than 30 minutes.

More than 1,300 comments were made in response to the post. Some welcomed Trump to China, and others wrote: “Peaceful coexistence, win-win cooperation.”

Hello and welcome to our live page about the highly anticipated summit between United States President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Stay with us as we bring you all the coverage from today, including news and analyses from the global powers’ meeting at a time of heightened worry over war, trade and artificial intelligence.