dexinwin U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump personally welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington on September 23, marking the start of Xi’s state visit to the United States.
The airport reception was an unusual diplomatic gesture. Rather than waiting for the Chinese president at the White House, Trump traveled to the military airfield to greet Xi and Peng as they arrived. The White House had announced in advance that Trump would personally welcome the Chinese delegation at the airport.
After Xi and Peng stepped off their plane, Trump and Melania shook hands with the Chinese presidential couple. A red carpet had been laid out at the bottom of the aircraft stairs, while an honor guard stood along both sides.
The arrival ceremony featured the national anthems of China and the United States, a 21-gun salute and a military flyover. American children also presented flowers to Xi and Peng.
Trump and Xi then walked together on the tarmac, accompanied by their wives. The two couples briefly exchanged greetings before proceeding with the official arrival ceremony.
The highly visible welcome attracted considerable international attention because U.S. presidents do not normally travel to the airport to personally receive visiting foreign heads of state. The Washington Post described the gesture as unusual, while the Associated Press also highlighted the departure from the customary practice of receiving foreign leaders at the White House.
Xi’s visit, scheduled for September 23 to 25, is his first state visit to Washington in more than a decade. The visit follows Trump’s trip to China in May and comes as Beijing and Washington seek to maintain communication on trade and other areas of bilateral relations.
Trade is one of the major issues surrounding the visit. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington and Beijing had agreed to extend an existing trade truce until January 10, giving both sides additional time to discuss outstanding economic and trade issues.
Xi also issued a written statement after arriving in the United States. He said China and the United States should be “partners, not rivals,” adding that the two countries could pursue their respective development goals while contributing to each other’s success and benefiting the wider world.
The formal state arrival ceremony is scheduled for September 24 at the White House. Trump and Melania will host Xi and Peng at a ceremony involving hundreds of U.S. military personnel, followed by talks between the two presidents. A state dinner is also planned for Thursday evening.
Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan are scheduled to take part in a separate cultural engagement during the visit, including a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. The two presidential couples are also scheduled to meet for tea and visit the National Archives on Friday.
The airport welcome has therefore become one of the most visible moments of Xi’s visit so far. With the two presidents set to hold formal talks in Washington, attention will now turn to whether the high-profile diplomatic reception is followed by concrete progress on trade and other issues in the China-U.S. relationship.
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