President Trump arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport [AP=Yonhap News]

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing, China, on the 13th (local time) to begin a three-day state visit.

According to China's official Xinhua News Agency and others, Trump's presidential plane, Air Force One, landed at Beijing Capital International Airport around 7:49 p.m. that day.

This is the first visit by a U.S. president to China in nine years, since November 2017, during Trump's first term.

Trump, wearing a black suit and a purple tie, waved as he descended from Air Force One.

On the Chinese side, Vice President Han Zheng, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng, and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu were among those who welcomed President Trump at the airport.

Children holding bouquets were also waiting.

President Trump smiled broadly, received the bouquets, and then held a brief conversation with Vice President Han and others.

About 300 young people waved U.S. and Chinese flags, shouting "Welcome, welcome," to which President Trump responded by clenching his fists.

President Trump then boarded a waiting car and proceeded to his accommodation.

President Trump is scheduled to stay at the Four Seasons Hotel near the U.S. Embassy in China during his visit.

Around the hotel, crowds of Chinese citizens and international reporters had gathered since 6 p.m., two hours before President Trump's arrival, forming a long line.

On the second day of his visit, the 14th, President Trump will hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

This will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in about six months, since their meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan in October of last year.

The summit, which the world is watching closely, is expected to broadly discuss key issues including tariffs and trade, as well as issues concerning Taiwan and Iran.

There is also keen interest in whether the North Korean nuclear issue and the Korean Peninsula issue will be mentioned.

Following the summit, President Trump will tour Beijing's Temple of Heaven park with President Xi, and in the evening, they will attend a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People.

On the 15th, the final day of his visit, the two leaders will continue further discussions over tea and lunch at Zhongnanhai, Xi Jinping's office and residence.

Afterward, President Trump will conclude his three-day visit to China and depart for home.

At a regular press briefing that day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang expressed a welcome to President Trump's visit, stating, "China wishes to join the U.S. side in upholding the spirit of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit, to expand cooperation, manage differences, and inject more stability and certainty into a world of change and turmoil."