Donald Trump was welcomed with a grand display of flattery and fanfare by Chinese President Xi Jinping on the first day of his visit to Beijing, which could mark a significant shift in relations between the two rival superpowers, according to BBC.

Warm reception with unscripted praise

The military honor guard lined up outside the Great Hall of the People for the ceremony, featuring a gun salute and a band playing the U.S. national anthem. Trump paused twice to greet schoolchildren waving both Chinese and American flags. As he shook hands with Xi, he leaned in to pat him on the arm, a gesture that appeared to reflect warmth. Trump praised Xi, saying, ‘You’re a great leader. I say it to everybody,’ in what appeared to be unscripted remarks.

Later, during a tour of the 15th-century Temple of Heaven, Trump told reporters that China was beautiful. At an evening banquet, he called the talks a ‘cherished’ opportunity, despite having previously taken a hardline stance on the country.

Historical tensions persist

Trump’s political brand has been built in part by taking a tough stance on China. In 2016, he told a campaign rally, ‘We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country, and that’s what they’re doing.’ In 2020, he claimed China had ‘ripped off the United States like no one has ever done before,’ and referred to the pandemic as the ‘Chinese virus.’ Before returning to power, he vowed to ‘make China pay.’ During the height of the trade war, both sides imposed tariffs as high as 100% on each other, though a fragile truce followed.

Key issues that remain unresolved include trade relations, the role of China in the Iran negotiations, and the status of Taiwan, a U.S. ally that China claims as its territory. During the visit, Xi made clear through state media that tensions over Taiwan could be a source of challenge, despite the elaborate choreography designed to show cooperation.

John Delury, a senior fellow from the Centre on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, noted, ‘We are witnessing a historical change. I hesitate to put too much on this specific summit, but the inexorable rise of China to a place where it is legitimately rivalling the U.S. — that is now happening before our eyes.’ China now produces a third of the world’s goods, processes more than 90% of rare earth minerals, and generates 60 to 80% of all solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles.

Business delegation and future cooperation

Trump’s visit included a business delegation featuring tech leaders like Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Jensen Huang, the head of chipmaker Nvidia. The White House said the two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation, including expanding U.S. firms’ access to the Chinese market and encouraging Chinese investment in U.S. industries. On Iran, both countries agreed that ‘Iran can never have a nuclear weapon’ and that ‘the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy.’

Trump is expected to seek China’s help to open up the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked and is impacting global energy flows. China has a long-standing relationship with Iran and is its largest trading partner. However, Xi has warned that the Taiwan issue could bring the two countries into conflict, according to Chinese state media. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. hopes to ‘convince them to play a more active role’ in resolving the situation.

Trump invited Xi to the White House in September, and Xi reciprocated by saying the ‘great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation’ and ‘Make America great again’ can go hand in hand. He ended his speech with a toast to the future of both nations: ‘Cheers.’