Chinese President Xi Jinping received U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing with military honours on Thursday.

Television footage showed the two leaders shaking hands for some time as they greeted each other.

Mr Trump exchanged a few words with Xi at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of the Chinese capital.

The two leaders then greeted government representatives from the other side and walked past a military formation during the welcoming ceremony.

Trump applauded children who cheered as they held up small U.S. flags and flowers.

Also present were business figures, including Apple chief executive Tim Cook and Tesla founder Elon Musk, as well as government officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Mr Trump and Xi last met in late October ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea, where they agreed to a pause in the ongoing tariff dispute.

Trade issues are also likely to be discussed in their talks on Thursday.

China is also expected to criticise U.S. support for Taiwan, the self-ruled island democracy that Beijing wants to bring under its control.

For the United States, China’s support for Iran and Beijing’s possible influence on Tehran are likely to be important issues.

Shortly before the start of the meeting, China’s state news agency Xinhua called for stable relations.

A commentary said relations between China and the United States were too important to fail.

On major international issues, from trade and financial markets to climate and artificial intelligence, coordination between Beijing and Washington was crucial, it said.

(dpa/NAN)