A spectacular welcome for a key global rivalpublished at 03:31 BST 14 May

03:31 BST 14 May

Stephen McDonell
China correspondent

Beijing has turned on a spectacular welcome for a country that it considers a key global rival – or perhaps it's done so, precisely because the US is China's key global rival.

The two leaders inspected the honour guard, and Donald Trump seemed to like the assembled children jumping and cheering in front of him as he gave one his fist pumps and clapped.

With the military band playing the rousing march in the background, which normally welcomes senior Communist Party figures to the stage, the two entered the Great Hall of the People for the serious business at hand.

Image source, CGTN

The highly anticipated bilateral talks are set to begin shortly in the Great Hall of the People. Media personnel are setting up, and Trump is being seated in the large conference room.

We'll bring you the latest updates when they happen.

Apart from Trump, here are the other US officials who'll be attending the bilateral talks this morning, as reported by China's CCTV:

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
• US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer
• Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent

The broadcaster has not disclosed a similar list for the Chinese side.

Image source, CGTN

The two leaders are now walking up a long flight of steps towards the East Gate of the Great Hall of the People, where they will hold their talks today.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Dozens of children have also lined up along the red carpet and could be seen jumping up and down, waving their mini flags and bouquets as the two leaders walk around the square.

Here's a video of perhaps the most important photo opportunity of this morning – a long-awaited handshake between the leaders of the world's two largest economies.

Image source, CGTN

As the band plays on, Trump and Xi walk the red carpet inspecting Chinese troops who have lined up in impeccably neat rows.

Now we see both leaders standing at attention in the centre of the square as a military band plays The Star-Spangled Banner, the US national anthem, followed by the Chinese anthem March of the Volunteers.

Image source, CGTN

Image source, CGTN

Trump and Xi are seen shaking hands on the red carpet. Trump then makes his way down the carpet greeting Chinese officials.

Image source, CGTN

Trump's motorcade has arrived at the Great Hall of the People. The two leaders will meet imminently.

More updates coming shortly – stick with us.

We now also see Chinese leader Xi Jinping walking down the stairs from the Great Hall of the People. He is getting ready to meet Donald Trump on the red carpet, with China's military entourage also in position.

Image source, Getty Images

Trump's motorcade has left the hotel where he spent the night and is on its way to the Great Hall of the People, where he is expected to be welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The two leaders, accompanied by their entourages, will then hold talks.

We'll bring you more as the morning unfolds. Stay with us.

Tom Bateman
in Beijing

The pool – the group of travelling media covering the visit – is now outside the Great Hall of the People, looking out onto Tiananmen Square.

It’s a hazy, warm morning and the low-sitting sun lights up a mixed line of US and Chinese flags being held by soldiers who are separating the area we are in from the rest of the square.

A group of children in brightly coloured clothes are lined up in front of me holding flowers and small American and Chinese flags.

They’ve just been jumping up and down, waving the flags and practising a loud chant of "welcome, welcome"in Mandarin.

In the centre of the area is a small covered stage, ready to host the dignitaries as we await the arrival of Trump and Xi.

The flags are raised, children are lined up with bouquets in hand, and the soldiers are marching into position – here's what we're seeing outside the Great Hall of the People this morning as Beijing gets ready to roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump.

Chinese president Xi Jinping will be part of the welcome ceremony held at the hall's East Gate, state broadcaster CCTV said in a short report accompanied by a clip of the preparations.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, get

What Musk and Huang's prominence on the tarmac tells uspublished at 02:32 BST 14 May

02:32 BST 14 May

Suranjana Tewari
Asia Business Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

This is a trip where optics matter as much as outcomes - and a striking moment took place as soon as Air Force One touched down in Beijing.

Elon Musk descended the presidential plane ahead of senior cabinet officials including Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio and remarkably US trade representative Jamieson Greer - on a trip which is expected to feature trade heavily.

Both Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stayed physically close to Trump throughout the welcome ceremony.

The symbolism is hard to miss. Together, the two men represent some of the sharpest pressure points in the US-China economic relationship: electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

Both have interests in China too. Tesla relies on its Shanghai gigafactory and Chinese consumers; Nvidia's chips sit at the centre of the global AI race and the escalating dispute over advanced semiconductor exports to China.

Huang's presence so early and so prominently is particularly notable. He was not on the official delegation list - but his late inclusion has fuelled speculation that AI and chip access will be more central to talks than previously expected.

There are plenty of thorny topics to discuss, but it might be hard to keep technology and supply chains off the table.

Image source, Getty Images

People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, today put out a full page of commentaries on US-China relations.

Among them is a piece calling for both sides to "set aside their prejudices to forge a sincere, friendly, and pragmatic friendship".

Another titled "A small ball unites hearts; friendship spans the oceans" centres on a China-US friendship pickleball event held in Jiangxi this past weekend. This piece also makes reference to the so-called ping-pong diplomacy that helped improve relations between the two countries in the 1970s.

The paper also published a note from Beijing's ambassador to Washington Xie Feng, who urged stronger bilateral cooperation, noting that the two superpowers share many common interests. He also outlined China's "four red lines": Taiwan, democracy and human rights, China's system of governance, and its right to development.

Image source, People's Daily

Which trade issues will be discussed?published at 01:12 BST 14 May

01:12 BST 14 May

Suranjana Tewari
Asia Business Correspondent

Top of the agenda for China will be the trade truce between the two countries, which was agreed last October. It paused further tariff escalation between the two sides but is due to expire in November.

Beijing is also expected to signal increased US purchases - what some analysts call the "Five B's": Boeing aircraft, beef, (soy)beans, plus proposals for a board of trade and board of investment to increase future trade.

Beijing, meanwhile, is framing talks around the "Three T's": tariffs, technology and Taiwan, which it still claims as its territory.

Technology and supply chains remain a core fault line. China wants eased US restrictions on advanced chips and chipmaking equipment, while Washington is pushing for more stable flows of rare earths critical to autos and aerospace.

Trump will be joined by business leaders including Elon Musk, Tim Cook and Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg - highlighting how closely corporate supply chains are tied to the relationship.

The talks are also expected to touch on the Iran war and maritime security, including the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and LNG to Asia.

Even small shifts in tone or wording could have wider implications for markets and regional security.

Trump is set to meet Xi this morning at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

The hall is a state building west of Tiananmen Square. It's used for legislative activities, and also to welcome foreign leaders.

Have a look at the hall:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Trump has already been in Beijing for a night, having landed around 21:00 local time yesterday.

He was greeted by Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng before heading to the Four Seasons hotel where he spent the night.

Today is the his first official day of activities.

Here's what's on his schedule:

• Trump will be welcomed at an arrival ceremony with Xi at China's Great Hall of the People
• The two leaders will then hold talks
• A state banquet is scheduled for the evening