U.S. President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have begun their high-stakes summit in Beijing, with the Chinese president expressing hope that their talks can herald a “new chapter” in bilateral relations.
A gun salute, military display and the playing of the two countries’ national anthems followed a handshake between the two leaders. They then moved with their delegations to the Great Hall of the People, where they will hold behind-closed-doors talks for most of Thursday.
Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is with Trump in Beijing, said that China is “our top political challenge.”
Rubio also said in a Fox News interview that the U.S.-China relationship is the “most important” to manage.
“We're going to have interests of ours that are going to be in conflict with interests of theirs; to avoid wars and maintain peace and stability in the world, we're gonna have to manage those,” he added.
Following their official sit-down, Trump and Xi will tour the historic Temple of Heaven, a 15th-century complex, before attending a state banquet.
