Xi's first state visit to US in 11 years

Trade truce, AI on agenda for Thursday summit

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping stand together on a red carpet during a welcoming ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday. [Getty Images]
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping stand together on a red carpet during a welcoming ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday. [Getty Images]

US President Donald Trump returned the favor to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, rolling out a lavish welcome for the Chinese leader after receiving a grand reception in Beijing last May. For the first time in his second term, Trump traveled to an airport to greet a visiting foreign leader — waiting more than an hour for Xi to arrive. The gesture came as the two countries, ahead of Thursday's summit, appeared focused on stabilizing ties through measures such as extending their trade truce rather than resolving deeper disputes.

Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, landed at Joint Base Andrews near Washington at around 5:39 p.m. Wednesday (local time), according to Yonhap. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were on hand at the base to receive the couple in person.

Trump had departed the White House aboard Marine One at around 4:43 p.m. and arrived at Andrews at 4:54 p.m. Xi did not emerge from his plane until around 6:01 p.m., meaning the Trumps waited on the tarmac for more than an hour.

Trump walked right up to the foot of the plane's stairs to greet Xi, and the two leaders shook hands with broad smiles. They walked together along a red carpet, exchanging words, and after the national anthems of both countries were played, Trump patted Xi on the shoulder and back in a display of warmth.

A 21-member US military honor guard was lined up for the ceremony, and a cannon salute was fired. Two US B-1 bombers flew overhead. Melania Trump and Peng also held a conversation behind the two leaders.

It marked the first time in Trump's second term that he had traveled to Andrews to personally greet a foreign leader visiting the United States. The gesture was seen as both a reciprocation of the grand welcome Xi extended during Trump's China visit last May and a signal of intent to ease tensions in the US-China relationship ahead of the summit.

Xi's state visit to the United States is his first since 2015, during the Barack Obama administration — a gap of 11 years. It is the third meeting between the two leaders since Trump's second term began, following encounters in Busan last October and in Beijing last May.

Despite the pomp of the airport welcome, the summit at the White House on Thursday is expected to surface sharp differences between the two sides. Both, however, are seen as prioritizing the stable management of the relationship — extending the trade truce reached after last year's tariff war — over any attempt at a comprehensive resolution of their disputes.

In the lead-up to the summit, the two countries have been in talks over extending the trade truce. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had discussed with Chinese counterparts the possibility of continuing the existing truce or exploring a broader trade agreement.

AI is also a major agenda item. The two countries, locked in competition for AI dominance, are considering establishing a notification system under which each side would alert the other in the event of a serious AI incident, such as a loss of control.

North Korea could also come up. Given that Trump has expressed a willingness to resume dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, attention is focused on whether he will discuss Korean Peninsula issues with Xi. Taiwan is also expected to be a key security topic at the summit.

A formal welcoming ceremony will be held again at the White House before the summit, and a state dinner for Xi and his wife is scheduled for Thursday evening. Xi is set to depart after a three-day, two-night state visit that runs through Friday.


jookapooka@heraldcorp.com