Trump Personally Welcomes Xi Jinping as Chinese President Begins US Visit
By Sitaram Mewati
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the United States on September 23 for a state visit at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, receiving a high-profile welcome from Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Trump personally greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the airport, in a rare planeside welcome for a visiting foreign leader. The arrival ceremony included a red carpet, military honour guards, a 21-gun salute, the national anthems of China and the United States, and a military flyover.
The visit marks Xi’s first trip to Washington in more than a decade and comes at a significant moment in China-US relations. The White House said Xi and Peng are being hosted for an official state visit on September 24, including a formal State Arrival Ceremony, talks between the two presidents and a state dinner hosted by Trump and Melania Trump.
In remarks issued on his arrival, Xi said China and the United States should be partners rather than rivals and highlighted the long history of exchanges between the two peoples. He said the two countries should promote a stable relationship in which cooperation remains important, competition is managed and differences are handled appropriately.
The visit is expected to cover a wide range of bilateral and international issues, including trade, technology, artificial intelligence and other areas of strategic interest. U.S. and Chinese officials have also been engaged in discussions on economic and trade matters alongside the leaders’ meeting.
The symbolism of Trump meeting Xi at the airport has drawn international attention. U.S. media reports described the gesture as unusual for a visiting head of state, while the White House characterised it as a reciprocal gesture following Trump’s earlier visit to China.
The state visit comes after Xi and Trump met earlier this year in China. Their latest engagement provides an opportunity for the two sides to maintain high-level communication while addressing areas of cooperation as well as differences.
With the leaders of the world’s two major economies meeting in Washington, the visit has placed renewed focus on dialogue, stability and the management of differences in China-US relations.
