Xi Begins Three-Day Washington State Visit With Rare Tarmac Welcome From Trump
Xi Jinping arrives in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, with Trump set to greet him at Joint Base Andrews in a rare planeside welcome.
Chinese President Xi Jinping begins a three-day state visit to Washington on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump expected to greet him on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews rather than waiting for him at the White House — an unusual gesture that signals the importance Washington is placing on the visit.
The White House has released few details of the arrival, but Trump is expected to take part in a ceremony at the base alongside Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan. The welcome opens a visit heavy on ceremony, including a formal state dinner on Thursday, and is intended to return the grandeur that marked Trump's trip to China in May.
The display of pageantry comes amid elevated tensions between the two rivals over trade, artificial intelligence, Trump's conflict with Iran and China's posture toward Taiwan. Beyond pursuing what has been described as "strategic stability," Trump has publicly praised Xi as a "great leader" and spoken of a warm relationship with a man he calls a friend, even as he has avoided pressing him on several issues.
Not everyone in Washington has welcomed the hospitality. Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the "lavish welcome" in a Senate floor speech on Tuesday, arguing that Trump should not have invited Xi given the disputes between the two countries. Wicker listed topics he said Trump should raise, including China's military buildup and its support for Iran, and described Xi in harsh terms.
Trump has made clear he wants to impress his guest, telling reporters recently that he was pleased his new helicopter landing pad would be finished in time while regretting that a planned White House ballroom would not be.
On Wednesday, he is expected to try to match the reception he received in Beijing earlier this year, where a long red carpet, a military honor guard, a band and roughly 300 flag-waving youths greeted Air Force One. Xi did not meet Trump personally on that trip, sending Vice President Han Zheng instead.
Thursday's schedule includes a White House arrival ceremony and a troop review before the black-tie dinner, which is expected to draw technology figures including Nvidia's Jensen Huang and SpaceX's Elon Musk. The two leaders are also due to discuss major issues behind closed doors, though expectations are low that the visit will yield significant breakthroughs.
On Friday, Xi and Peng are to return to the White House for a private tea with Trump and first lady Melania Trump, followed by a tour of the National Archives, where the White House says they will view historic documents highlighting ties between the two nations.