Trump, accompanied by members of the American delegation, was ceremonially welcomed by Xi, assisted by a representative company of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and an orchestra.
Trump called Xi a “friend”
Xi descended the steps in front of the Great Hall of the People and then shook hands with Trump, who arrived in the presidential limousine. The two leaders exchanged a few words of greeting, with Xi introducing the US president to his team and Xi shaking hands with members of Trump's team. The US president saluted one of the Chinese military personnel.
Both leaders then listened to the national anthems accompanied by a salute of honor and inspected the troops.
— We have a fantastic relationship. Whenever we had a problem, we solved it very quickly and we will have a fantastic future together, Trump said. The US president praised Xi as a “great leader” even as he admitted that not everyone in the US liked him saying that. He announced that they would talk about trade and that the relationship would be “completely mutual”
“It's an honor to be with you, to be your friend, and the relationship between the U.S. and China will be better than ever,” Trump said, speculating that the current summit could be the largest in history.
The president said that being greeted in front of the Great Hall of the People was one of the greatest honors of his life, praising, among other things, cheering for the children's leaders.
The American delegation includes, among others: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Finance Minister Scott Bessent, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, as well as the heads of American corporations, including Apple, Nvidia, Tesla and Boeing.
