US President Donald Trump has greeted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping with a military flyover and 100ft red carpet to kick off their three-day summit in Washington. Trump welcomed Xi's entourage at the airport as the US Air Force band marched on the tarmac and US and Chinese flags flew. The high-stakes visit - Xi's first trip to Washington since 2015 - is expected to include closed-door meetings, a state dinner, and discussions on various issues, including AI, the Iran war, and Taiwan.
The leader of China's Communist Party touched down in an Air China plane at 17:39 local time. The colour and honour guard marched up to the aircraft and stood on both sides of the red carpet as two limos pulled up. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan exited their plane and the two couples shook hands. They spoke briefly before walking side by side down the red carpet and posing for photos. Two B-1s flew over as the Army Air Force Band played the US national anthem.
This is the first time since 1962 that a US president has personally welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews, signalling the importance that Trump is giving this visit. In 1962, then-President John F Kennedy greeted British PM Harold Macmillan. The visit is seen as a significant event, with the two countries aiming to discuss and potentially resolve various issues, including trade and tariffs.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the US and China will extend their trade truce to January. The agreement, which saw Trump lower tariff rates on some goods in exchange for Xi loosening restrictions on rare earth minerals, was set to expire 10 November. Bessent said the two discussed if there can eventually be a more substantive trade deal between the two countries.
Xi said both China and the US are "great nations, and their people are great people". "The two countries should be partners rather than rivals," he said. Melania Trump has said she has been involved intimately with the planning of the itinerary. She told Fox News that Trump made the decision to personally greet Xi himself at the airport "because they have a great relationship".
Xi is accompanied on the visit by Cai Qi, a member of the party's Politburo Standing Committee, vice premier He Lifeng, foreign minister Wang Yi, as well as other delegates and ambassadors from Beijing. The visit will end on Friday, with leaders of US AI companies slated to attend the lavish state dinner set for Thursday. Trump has dismissed recent warnings about the potential dangers of AI from within the industry as a "hoax".
A recent poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs indicated that 41% of Americans see China's territorial ambitions as a threat to the US, down from 52% in 2022. More than half of Americans - 57% - believe the US should cooperate and engage with Beijing. The visit comes at a time when American attitudes towards China appear to be warming, with Melania Trump also planning a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art to show her Chinese counterpart the cultural connections between the two countries.
Key points
- The US and China have agreed to extend their trade truce to January.
- Xi Jinping's visit marks his first trip to Washington since 2015.
- The visit aims to strengthen US-China relations, with discussions on trade, tariffs, and AI.
