Trump lands in Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping: What we know about the trip

President Donald Trump arrived Wednesday in China ahead of a summit with his counterpart Xi Jinping, which will address hot-button issues such as international trade, the war in Iran and the future of Taiwan, AFP reporters said.

It is the first visit by an American president to that country since Trump's own visit during his first term, in November 2017.

The presidential plane landed at Beijing International Airport at 7:50 p.m. (local time) after a long flight from Washington. On Thursday, Trump will be welcomed at 10 a.m. (local time) at the People's Palace in the capital's Tiananmen Square.

Air Force One also carried senior members of his administration on board, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

.@POTUS proceeds down the red carpet in Beijing — briefly giving his signature fist pump to the assembled Military Honor Guard and Chinese youth flag wavers pic.twitter.com/aDBQdDjsx8

What we know about the trip

The president, accompanied also by Tesla/SpaceX founder Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, is scheduled to hold two days of meetings with Xi Jinping and his team.

Trump declared Tuesday night via his Truth Social network that he will travel to the "Great Country of China, where he will ask President Xi, a leader of extraordinary distinction, to 'open up' China so these brilliant people can work their magic and help take the People's Republic to an even higher level."

Accompanying him on the trip in addition to Musk and Huang will be Tim Cook of Apple and more than a dozen other American tech and business moguls.

Secretary Rubio rocking the Nike Tech ‘Venezuela’ on Air Force One! 😂 pic.twitter.com/yi1b1mR8M0