Beijing | US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for his hotly anticipated talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Iran war, trade and US arms sales to Taiwan.

The meat of the summit won't happen until Thursday when the leaders hold bilateral talks and a formal banquet. But the Chinese are offering Trump a pomp-filled welcome after Air Force One landed in the Chinese capital.

The president was to be greeted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng; Xie Feng, China's ambassador to Washington; Ma Zhaoxu, executive vice minister of foreign affairs; as well as the US envoy to Beijing, David Perdue, according to the White House.

The welcoming ceremony is to include some 300 Chinese youth, a military honour guard and military band.