US President Donald Trump gave Chinese President Xi Jinping a warm welcome—greeting him with a military flypast and a 30-meter-long red carpet—to kick off the Chinese leader’s three-day visit to Washington, the BBC reports.
In an unusual move, Trump and the First Lady greeted Xi’s delegation at the airport. Xi’s first visit to Washington since 2015 is expected to include closed-door meetings, an official dinner, and discussions on a range of issues—from artificial intelligence to the war in Iran and the situation regarding Taiwan—as well as talks on extending the trade truce.
Following the welcome at the Maryland airport, where the leaders and their wives exchanged pleasantries, Trump and his guests traveled to Washington in separate vehicles. This marks the first time since 1962 that a US president has personally greeted a foreign leader at an air force base, underscoring the great importance Trump attaches to Xi’s visit. In 1962, then-US President John F. Kennedy personally welcomed British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. On the 23rd of September, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the United States and China would extend their trade truce until January. The agreement—under which Trump lowered import tariffs on certain categories of goods in exchange for the easing of restrictions on Chinese rare-earth minerals—was set to expire on the 10th of November. Bessent announced the change following a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, noting that the two had discussed the possibility of concluding a more substantial trade deal between the nations.
In a statement published by the Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, Xi remarked that
both China and the United States are great nations and their people are great people.
He emphasized that the two countries should be partners rather than rivals.
US First Lady Melania Trump told Fox News that she had been closely involved in planning the visit’s agenda and that Trump had decided to personally welcome Xi at the airport, given their good relationship.
Xi is accompanied on the visit by Cai Qi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee; Vice Premier He Lifeng; Foreign Minister Wang Yi; and other delegates and envoys from Beijing. In an official statement, Xi indicated that the rejuvenation of the Chinese people and the strengthening of America can coexist, reinforce one another, and benefit the world. He added that he is confident the visit will yield fruitful results.
It is not known whether representatives from the business community are accompanying Xi. The entry of Chinese companies into the US market could raise new questions regarding Chinese business practices, state subsidies, and industrial overcapacity—issues that might attract more scrutiny than Xi or his party would desire. Trump was accompanied on his visit to Beijing in May by representatives from a number of major US technology companies, including Tim Cook of Apple, Elon Musk of Tesla, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia. Executives from US artificial intelligence companies are also expected to attend the lavish official dinner on the 24th of September. Xi’s visit will conclude on the 25th of September.
Trump has previously dismissed warnings about the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence
as a fabrication, while China and the US are engaged in a race for leadership in the field.
The US president will seek to reach agreements regarding trade and import tariffs. So far, China has refrained from promising to purchase more American agricultural products or sell more rare-earth minerals. David Firestein, a representative of the Bush China Foundation, said he expects Xi to try to persuade Trump to delay or even halt the 14 billion dollars arms sale to Taiwan approved by Congress. He noted that these are long-standing points of contention between the US and China, though relations are currently more stable than they were a year ago.
Xi’s visit comes at a time when American attitudes toward China appear to be warming. A recent poll indicates that 41% of Americans view China’s territorial ambitions as a threat to the US; in 2022, that figure stood at 52%. More than half—57%—of Americans believe the US should cooperate with Beijing.
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