Republican was welcomed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping; is the 1st US president to visit China in 9 years
The president of the United States, (Republican Party), was received by the Chinese president, (Communist Party of China) on Thursday morning (May 14, 2026) – Beijing time. The ceremony took place in the Great Hall of the People, the equivalent of the Chinese National Congress. This is where China usually receives foreign heads of state.
Trump is the 1st US president to visit China in 9 years. The last time a head of the White House was on Chinese soil was Trump himself in 2017. Before him, the last visit was by Barack Obama (Democratic Party) in 2016. On that occasion, Obama did not go to Beijing, but to Hangzhou for a G20 meeting.
After the ceremony, the presidents and their respective delegations entered the Great Hall of the People for the 1st of two bilateral meetings.
Watch (19min7s):
