What happened todayBy Tom HousdenWe’re pausing our live coverage of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China for tonight. Thanks for joining us today – we will resume tomorrow. Here’s a recap of what happened: Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a state banquet in Beijing this evening to wrap up the first day of their landmark summit.The day began with a lavish welcome ceremony at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, featuring a military guard of honour and a crowd of cheering schoolchildren.During the closed-door meeting that followed, Xi reportedly warned that the issue of Taiwan could push relations between the two powers into “a very dangerous place”, with the potential for “collision or clashes”. The two presidents agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must be open for the free flow of energy, according to a White House readout of the meeting, which did not mention Taiwan.Other topics on the table include technology and trade, on which Xi said the sides were making progress in talks towards a “positive outcome”.A high-powered delegation of American business leaders is accompanying Trump to China, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, Larry Fink, David Solomon and Kelly Ortberg.Thursday’s meeting lasted two hours – much longer than expected. Afterwards, Xi accompanied Trump for a tour of the city’s ancient Confucian Temple of Heaven. Xi will host Trump for another round of talks at Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound, on Friday morning before the US president departs later that day.Xi and Trump shake hands during their tour of the Temple of Heaven.Getty ImagesLatest Posts7.02pm on May 14, 2026Trump and Xi agree Strait of Hormuz must be open: White HouseBy Trump and Xi agreed in their meeting earlier that the Strait of Hormuz must be open for the free flow of energy, according to a White House readout of the summit.The two leaders also discussed building on progress in ending the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the US, as well as increasing Chinese purchases of American agricultural products, the statement said.Taiwan was not mentioned in the White House summary of the meeting, which it described as “good”.ReutersThis concludes our coverage for today. We will also continue our rolling coverage tomorrow morning with the latest updates and discussions.6.48pm on May 14, 2026Watch: Chinese children greet TrumpBy Trump’s official White House “Rapid Response” team has posted another social media video of the president being greeted by a crowd of schoolchildren in Beijing earlier in the day. The president is seen smiling and applauding the children, and later commented in his meeting with Xi, “I was particularly impressed by those children. They were happy. They were beautiful. The military is obvious. It couldn’t be better. But those children were amazing.”6.26pm on May 14, 2026AI-powered memes go viral in ChinaBy People in China have been making the most of Trump’s landmark summit by creating AI memes and telling light-hearted jokes online about his high-profile entourage, though there have also been some complaints over the disruption the visit is causing.Trump’s visit to Beijing — the first by a US president in some nine years – has been the top trending topic on the microblogging site Weibo in recent days. People have been posting every detail they can find about the event, including photos of the American military transport planes that shipped over Trump’s car and other items, as well as the flight path of Air Force One.More than 8 million people watched the arrival ceremony for Trump on Wednesday evening on the app for state broadcaster China Central Television, while millions more followed on popular streaming sites such as Douyin.6.00pm on May 14, 2026Beasts in BeijingBy No Trump state visit would be complete without the president’s trademark gigantic armoured limousine, aka “the Beast”, and not one but two of the eight-tonne behemoths have been sighted on the streets of Beijing.Trump’s limousine arrives at Beijing’s Great Hall earlier on Thursday.Getty ImagesThe president typically travels with at least two cars – one of which serves as a backup or decoy – and they come with their own fleet of support vehicles, usually flown in by American military transport aircraft well in advance.The current Beast – a bespoke General Motors design reportedly adapted from a truck chassis and badged as a Cadillac – has been in use since 2018 and offers a premium level of protection for the president on the move.A Chinese paramilitary policeman stands guard as Trump’s limousine approaches.APTwin Beasts: Trump returns to his hotel after meeting Xi on Thursday.AP5.26pm on May 14, 2026What’s on the menu for tonight’s state dinner?By When Trump and Xi sit down to a lavish state banquet in Beijing tonight, one Chinese cuisine is likely to feature on the menu: Huaiyang food, from the region surrounding Shanghai, known for its mild and subtle flavours, refined knife-work and emphasis on seasonal dishes.Some iconic Huaiyang dishes include tender, springy “lion’s head” pork meatballs, Yangzhou fried rice, “squirrel fish” deep-fried in a sweet-and-sour sauce, and “wensi tofu” – a block of tofu sliced into thousands of fine strands.The cuisine features ingredients native to the Yangtze River basin, such as freshwater fish, eel, and bamboo shoots, with minimal seasoning to highlight their freshness.Trump and Xi pictured at the state dinner in Beijing in November 2017.AP“It’s great for banquets because it’s lighter than the food of Shandong in China’s north, not spicy like the foods of the south-west (like Sichuanese), and more approachable and less reliant on exotic ingredients than Cantonese, the big cuisine of the south,” said Christopher St Cavish, a food writer based in Shanghai.4.10pm on May 14, 2026Personal touch for Trump contrasts with Starmer brush-offBy Xi and Trump’s informal yet highly choreographed tour of Beijing’s historic Temple of Heaven highlights the Chinese president’s love of a quick stroll around a landmark with a fellow leader in tow, emphasising warmth and personal connection. Trump poses alongside Xi inside the Temple of Heaven.APBoth French President Emmanuel Macron and Trump have previously enjoyed Xi’s company on tours of Beijing’s Forbidden City, the ancient palace complex considered one of China’s finest historic sites.Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump joins the tour party at the Temple of Heaven.Getty ImagesBut there was no such personal touch for Britain’s Keir Starmer earlier this year, who was handed over to a humble tour guide, despite the trip being the first by a British leader to China in eight years. British PM Keir Starmer at Beijing’s Forbidden City, with tour guide, in January.AP3.19pm on May 14, 2026Day-one meeting ends, leaders visit Temple of HeavenBy Trump and Xi have wrapped up their day-one meeting after two hours of discussion covering Taiwan, trade and other differences, and are now visiting the Temple of Heaven, a 15th-century Confucian religious complex in the heart of Beijing – and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The president declined to say if he and Xi discussed Taiwan and said “great” when reporters asked how the talks went. He didn’t answer when asked again during the temple visit. Trump is due to attend a state banquet this evening and will hold a further private meeting with Xi tomorrow morning before flying out just after midday AEST.Trump and Xi visit Beijing’s Temple of Heaven. APTrump joins Xi outside the Temple of Heaven.AP3.03pm on May 14, 2026Trade talks making progress: XiBy Xi told Trump in their meeting that China-US trade talks are making progress towards an “overall balanced and positive outcome”, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.The latest round of negotiations aimed to maintain the trade truce struck between the two leaders last October and establish mechanisms to support future trade and investment, officials with knowledge of the matter said.Trump has said his first request to Xi will be to “open up” China to US industry, and has been joined on his trip by a raft of top US executives, including Tesla’s Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.All three were present during the opening talks, with Musk telling reporters they were “wonderful” as he left the Great Hall.Reuters2.58pm on May 14, 2026Nvidia’s Huang positive on China relationshipBy Chipmaker Nvidia’s boss, Jensen Huang, has told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV that he hoped Trump and Xi would build on their good relationship during their talks to improve two-way ties.Nvidia’s Jensen Huang is travelling with the US delegation in Beijing.Getty ImagesHuang, who joined Trump’s state visit to China at the eleventh hour, is struggling to maintain Nvidia’s presence in the world’s second-largest economy.The US chipmaker is currently unable to deliver its H200 chips to Chinese clients seeking to use the hardware to power developments in artificial intelligence.Reuters2.46pm on May 14, 2026Watch: Xi greets Trump with pomp and circumstanceBy 1 of 3