In a striking display of diplomatic theater, US President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the tarmac with a personal airport welcome — a rare gesture that set the tone for a state visit designed to steady a tense relationship spanning artificial intelligence, trade and Iran.
Mr Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Mr Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, with a handshake after their arrival at Joint Base Andrews, the US military airfield outside Washington.
With both leaders standing shoulder to shoulder on the runway as a military band played, two B-1 bombers flew overhead in a carefully choreographed flyover.
The unusual airport reception — a courtesy Mr Trump did not receive during his visit to Beijing in May — launches three days of ceremonial events. Another flyover and a state banquet at the White House are scheduled for today.
Six F-22 fighter jets and six F-16s sat lined up on the tarmac, underscoring the show of military might as US officials rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese leader.
President Xi Jingping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived in the US on an Air China plane
Despite the lavish welcome, analysts say expectations for major breakthroughs remain modest, with the spectacle aimed largely at preserving a fragile diplomatic and trade truce between the world’s two largest economies.
According to Chinese state media, Mr Xi arrived with senior aides including his right-hand man Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Two sources said no Chinese CEOs were included in the delegation, even as top US technology executives — including leaders of major AI companies — are expected at the White House state banquet.
The visit is due to conclude on Friday morning with tea for the two presidential couples at the White House, followed by a trip to the National Archives, where the US Declaration of Independence is kept.
‘Gentleman’s agreement’
When the two presidents sit down for their closely watched talks today, they will face a packed agenda — starting with anxieties, amplified by warnings from technology executives, that artificial intelligence could threaten humanity itself.
Yet with Beijing and Washington locked in a race for AI dominance, there is little expectation the two sides will reach any agreement to regulate the fast-moving technology.
In preliminary discussions on Sunday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng spoke about establishing a communication channel to address AI concerns.
Mr Bessent said in a statement that the two officials held additional “substantive” talks on Wednesday to prepare for Mr Xi’s trip.
Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted President Xi and his wife
The simmering trade dispute between the two powers is also expected to dominate, with both governments weighing an extension of the tariff truce struck when Mr Trump and Mr Xi met in South Korea last year.
Jonathan Czin of the Brookings Institution said tangible outcomes were unlikely, but added: “I think there will be some extension of the gentleman’s agreement”.
Analysts said China has also begun looking beyond Mr Trump — whose second term ends in early 2029 — arguing that Beijing is effectively playing for time and using the truce to strengthen its position.
Mr Trump is also expected to press for the release of some Americans and others held in China, according to Reuters sources familiar with the plans.
Donald Trump and Xi Jingping stood side by side on the tarmac as a military band played
The talks come at a difficult juncture for Trump, who is facing sliding approval ratings as public frustration grows over his war on Iran. Mr Xi, though confronting pressures at home as well, arrives appearing to hold the stronger hand, with China’s trade engine roaring.
Focus on pageantry
Mr Trump’s five-star reception for Mr Xi has prompted criticism from within his own party, particularly amid reports that Beijing provided Iran with intelligence used in attacks on US troops.
“Our commander-in-chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator,” said Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee.
Mr Trump has played down the importance of raising the allegations of Chinese assistance to Iran, arguing that both Beijing and Washington spy on each other.
For Mr Trump, the visit also offers a chance to spotlight ceremony rather than domestic challenges, as the Iran war’s impact on fuel prices has pushed his approval rating down to historic lows ahead of midterm elections in November.
Donald Trump’s welcome for Xi Jingping has drawn criticism from members of his own party
US presidents seldom go to the airport to receive foreign leaders, though Mr Trump greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin as he disembarked in Alaska last year.
Aside from papal visits, the last such Andrews welcomes are believed to be John F Kennedy’s greeting for British prime minister Harold Macmillan in 1962 and Dwight D Eisenhower’s for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1959.
Later, Beijing’s state media reported remarks from Mr Xi Jinping calling for cooperation between the two countries.
“Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals,” Mr Xi said in written comments published by state news agency Xinhua. He added that “the Chinese and US peoples have enjoyed long-standing friendly exchanges, and our interests are deeply intertwined”.
He said he looked forward to “in-depth exchanges with President Trump on major issues concerning our bilateral relations and the global situation (and) to further enriching the substance of our constructive strategic stability relationship”.
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