Xi Jinping Arrives In Osaka For G20 Summit

President Xi Jinping arrived in Osaka on Thursday on the eve of a crunch G20 summit likely to be dominated by a long-running trade fight with the United States.

Xi is expected to hold trade talks with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the two-day meeting that begins on Friday, but analysts see a temporary tariff truce as a more likely outcome than a game-changing breakthrough.

Analysts say the G20 summit is being overshadowed by both trade and geopolitical tensions.

Trump was due to arrive later Thursday, and to meet with Xi on Saturday as the G20 meetings conclude.

Xi was also expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seeking a breakthrough after years of strain over territorial disputes. It is his first visit to Japan since he became communist China's top leader in 2013.

And Xi's visit to North Korea last week raised hopes for some movement in the impasse with the US over Pyongyang's nuclear program. Trump is due to visit South Korea after leaving Japan. (AP/AFP)