Trump greets Xi Jinping at plane as Chinese leader arrives for state visit
US president to give red-carpet treatment to Chinese counterpart despite tensions over AI development
Donald Trump welcomed Xi Jinping on Wednesday evening, taking the unusual step of greeting the Chinese leader on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews to kick off his state visit to Washington.
Xi’s plane was met with a lavish arrival ceremony that included a 100ft long red carpet flanked by US service members, a military flyover by two B-1 bombers and a presentation of the flags and national anthems of both countries. US presidents typically welcome foreign leaders at the White House, but Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to the the military base in Maryland, just outside Washington, to personally shake Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan’s hands upon their arrival in the US.
