Trump lands in China seeking progress on trade, North Korea

US President Donald Trump toured parts of Beijing on Wednesday after arriving for a high-stakes state visit where he’ll look for wins from Xi Jinping on everything from the US’s massive trade deficit to reining in North Korea.

The third leg of Trump’s five nation Asia tour comes after stops in Tokyo and Seoul. Addressing South Korea’s parliament earlier Wednesday he had strong words for Kim Jong Un — even as he remained open to a potential deal on North Korea’s nuclear weapons. And he called on China, Kim’s main ally and biggest trading partner, to cut him off.

The state visit, which will meld intimate sit-downs with Xi alongside state dinners and gala events joined by dozens of business leaders, is China’s answer to his hosting Xi at his Florida estate, Mar a Lago, earlier this year. The main event is on Thursday, when Trump and Xi are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting and make joint statements to reporters.

On Wednesday afternoon, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump joined Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for an opera performance and a tour of the Forbidden City — the imperial palace that served as the political center of China’s government for almost 500 years. China’s state-run media said Trump showed Xi video clips of his granddaughter singing in Chinese.

The stop is by far the most important part of Trump’s trip, given that he believes China is central to reining in North Korea. And Trump’s personal brand of diplomacy — based in professions of deep friendship to get what he wants — will be tested by his ability to come away with Chinese promises to halt what he sees as predatory trade practices.