Trump gave Xi Jinping a rare personal airport welcome as the Chinese president arrived in Washington on Thursday for a three-day state visit, kicking off a heavily choreographed diplomatic engagement between the two leaders.
Trump welcomed Xi to Washington in an unusual ceremony at the airport that demonstrated how much the US president was willing to court his Chinese counterpart, with Trump greeting Xi on the tarmac rather than waiting for him at the White House, as Xi made his first state visit to the US in more than a decade.
❗️ PRES XI DESCENDS FROM PLANE as TRUMP WELCOMES HIM with WARM HANDSHAKE pic.twitter.com/EGOkUdPAcm
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— RT (@RT_com) September 23, 2026
First lady Melania Trump said her husband had decided to personally greet Xi because "they have a great relationship," adding, "He's coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect," in comments about Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, during a Fox News interview.
The gesture mirrors the pageantry Trump received during his own visit to Beijing in May.
A red carpet was rolled out for Air Force One in Beijing then, with a military honour guard, band and about 300 Chinese youths waving flags and chanting welcomes, dressed in uniforms mirroring the presidential plane's colours.
This week's reciprocal state visit is expected to be saturated with pomp even by White House standards, culminating in a formal state dinner on Thursday.
Wednesday's airport ceremony will be followed by further formalities on Thursday, including an arrival ceremony at the White House and a review of troops.
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The state dinner will feature technology industry leaders including Nvidia's Jensen Huang and SpaceX's Elon Musk, though expectations remain low that the visit will produce major breakthroughs in the bilateral relationship.
On Friday, Xi and Peng are scheduled to return to the White House for a private tea with the Trump before joining them on a tour of the National Archives in Washington, where they will view historic documents underscoring the relationship between the two countries.
Trump has lavished praise on Xi as a "great leader" and described a warm personal relationship, even as he has given Xi a pass on several contentious issues between the two nations.
Discussions during the visit are expected to touch on trade, technology and the ongoing Iran conflict, among other pressing bilateral concerns.
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