Xi Jinping arrived in the US for a three-day visit, Trump personally met him at the airport
The US Air Force orchestra marched across the airfield, and American and Chinese flags fluttered.
US President Donald Trump welcomed his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping with a flyover of bombers and a 30-meter red carpet ahead of the start of their three-day summit in Washington. Trump personally met the Chairman of the People's Republic of China at the airport, where the US Air Force orchestra marched across the airfield, and American and Chinese flags fluttered, BBC reports.
US President and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday evening.
Xi's first trip to Washington since 2015 is expected to include closed-door meetings, a state dinner, and a wide range of topics for discussion — from artificial intelligence to the war with Iran and Taiwan, as well as the extension of the trade truce.
The leader of the Communist Party of China landed on an Air China plane at 5:39 PM local time (00:39 AM Minsk time). A guard of honor approached the plane and lined up on both sides of the red carpet as two limousines drove up to the gangway.
Xi and Peng exited the plane, after which the two couples exchanged handshakes. They conversed briefly, then walked side-by-side down the red carpet and posed for photographs.
Two B-1s flew over the base while the orchestra performed the US national anthem. These supersonic aircraft are an important part of the American combat arsenal.
After exchanging pleasantries, both couples departed for Washington in separate vehicles.
A US President meeting a foreign leader at the airport is the first such instance in 11 years.
The last time was when Barack Obama honored Pope Francis in 2015. Before that, in 1962, President John Kennedy met British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant has already announced that the US and China will extend their trade truce until January. The agreement, under which Trump reduced tariffs on some goods in exchange for Xi easing restrictions on rare earth mineral supplies, was set to expire on November 10.
Bessant, speaking after a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, reported that the parties also discussed the possibility of concluding a more substantive trade agreement in the future.
In a written statement published by China's state news agency Xinhua, Xi stated that both China and the US are "great nations, and their people are great peoples."
"The two countries should be partners, not rivals," he said.
Melania Trump stated that she was directly involved in planning the visit program. In an interview with Fox News, she said that Trump decided to personally meet Xi at the airport "because they have a great relationship."
Xi is accompanied by Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, whom many consider his right-hand man, Vice Premier He Lifeng, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as other high-ranking officials from Beijing.
"The realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the revival of American greatness can fully coexist, reinforce each other, and benefit the world," Xi's statement, distributed by Xinhua, read. In it, he also expressed confidence that the visit "will yield fruitful results."
It is unknown whether Xi brought business representatives with him. The presence of Chinese companies in the US could also raise questions about Chinese business practices, subsidies, and excess production capacity, all of which could lead to more criticism and more questions than Xi and his party would like.
During Trump's visit to Beijing in May, he was accompanied by a group of technology executives from the largest American firms, including Tim Cook of Apple, Elon Musk of Tesla, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia.
Executives from American artificial intelligence companies are expected to attend the lavish state dinner scheduled for Thursday. Xi's visit will conclude on Friday.
Trump dismissed recent warnings from industry representatives about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, calling them a "hoax," while both countries seek to achieve dominance in this sector.
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