Trump and Xi meet for high-stakes talks in Beijing

• Xi welcomes Trump in Beijing for high-stakes US–China summit on trade, Iran and Taiwan.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping welcomed US President Donald Trump with a handshake on Thursday in Beijing for a superpower summit on thorny issues including Iran, trade and Taiwan.

Xi greeted Trump at the opulent Great Hall of the People at just past 10:00 am (0200 GMT), a grand reception that belies the deep tensions between the world’s biggest economies.

Accompanied by Trump, Xi shook hands with several US officials, including Pentagon Peter Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was known throughout his career as a fierce opponent of Beijing.