Script:

Now, Donald Trump has arrived in China on a two-day visit, the first official trip by a US president for nearly a decade. There’ll be talks with his counterpart, Xi Jinping, as the world’s two biggest economies grapple with the economic fallout of the war with Iran.

Mr. Trump is hoping US companies can get better access to Chinese markets and is traveling with a delegation, including the CEOs of Apple, Boeing, and the chipmaker Nvidia. Laura Bicker has the latest from Beijing.

China was ready with a carefully choreographed welcome. And the US president paused to take in the precision of the display. He once promised to take a hard line on China, but ahead of his trip, he seemed eager to do a deal.

This is going to be a very exciting trip, a lot of good things are going to happen.

Do you think he needs to intervene at all with the Iranian? Do you think he can help in any way?

No, I don’t think we need any help with Iran, we’ll win it one way or the other, we’ll win it peacefully or otherwise.

Despite Donald Trump’s assurances, US officials have been putting pressure on Beijing to use its economic, its political leverage over Iran to nudge it towards the negotiating table. China is Iran’s biggest buyer of oil and biggest trade partner.

Now, there is no doubt that the war in the Middle East will overshadow these talks that were meant to be about trade. China fought back hard against Donald Trump’s tariffs. It’s now the leading car exporter in the world, a real challenge for US manufacturers.

This country is also racing to rival US technology and investing billions in robotics. Firms here can build the body, but some need America’s help with the brain. President Xi will want to buy high-end chips from the US to power his robotics revolution, if Mr. Trump will let him.

As well as the new tech and trade, China is trying to become, well, trendy. Viral videos and visa-free travel have attracted millions of new visitors.

I feel like China is getting more connected to the world, more integrated with the international community. I feel like the world is like a big family.

But this country is still grappling with some serious challenges, rising unemployment, uneven growth, and these workers are laboring for just a few dollars a day. This country wants respect as a global power, but these streets are a reminder.

China needs stable relations with the US to keep its ambitions on track. Donald Trump was last here in 2017, but things have changed since then. China’s grown far more confident, far more assertive, and President Xi may feel that he is facing a war-weakened US leader.

China is likely to push the United States to end its arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to take it.

Donald Trump, for his part, wants a big signature trade deal, something he can sell at home as his approval ratings continue to fall.

Now, that is likely China is likely to buy more American goods and they’ll treat Donald Trump like an emperor for a day with a tour of the 15th century Temple of Heaven.