Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan wave before boarding their plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday (local time), concluding a three-day state visit to the United States. [EPA]
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan wave before boarding their plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday (local time), concluding a three-day state visit to the United States. [EPA]

Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Saturday after completing a three-day state visit to the United States.

China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi arrived in Beijing at around 3:34 p.m. (local time).

Xi traveled to the United States on Wednesday for his first state visit in 11 years. President Donald Trump personally greeted him at the airport and held an official welcoming ceremony at the White House that featured a military jet flyover — an exceptional level of protocol maintained throughout the visit.

The two countries agreed at their summit to prevent further escalation of trade tensions and to maintain direct communication between their leaders. Xi asked Trump to uphold his opposition to Taiwan independence and invited him to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, set to be held in Shenzhen, China, in November.

Chinese state media described the visit as a new starting point for bilateral relations, saying both sides should move their vision of a "constructive strategic stability relationship" from concept to action.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com