In a striking departure from longstanding diplomatic convention, President Donald Trump personally traveled to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on Wednesday, September 23, to greet Chinese President Xi Jinping upon his arrival for a three-day state visit. American presidents almost never make the trip to an airport to welcome a foreign leader, making the gesture a highly symbolic opening to a closely watched diplomatic engagement.
Air China’s aircraft touched down at the military base, where service members in full dress uniform stood in formation and fighter jets were lined up in honor of the visiting delegation. Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, shook hands with Xi, who traveled with his wife, Peng Liyuan. The two couples then walked the red carpet together for a brief arrival ceremony.
B-1 Bombers Fly Over as Trump Grimaces, Xi Stays Stoic
During the ceremony, two American B-1 bombers conducted a flyover of the base. The supersonic aircraft, part of the most modern arsenal in the U.S. military, are known for the deafening noise they produce in flight. But it was Trump himself who bore the brunt of the sonic impact, visibly grimacing on camera as the bombers roared overhead — while Xi remained entirely impassive.
After the lavish welcome, the two leaders departed separately. “It was a great welcome, and I think they appreciated it,” Trump told reporters.
State Visit Kicks Off with Full Honors at the White House
Xi’s state visit formally begins Thursday, when Trump is expected to once again roll out the red carpet for his Chinese counterpart. A grand arrival ceremony is planned at the White House, complete with a military parade and fighter jet flyover, followed by a gala dinner hosted by First Lady Melania Trump.
While few expect the visit to yield major diplomatic breakthroughs, several key issues are certain to be on the agenda. Trump indicated that the war against Iran, a Chinese ally, would be among the topics discussed. “I’ll bring that up and many other things, but everything is going well, including that,” the U.S. president said, shortly after announcing a resumption of dialogue with Tehran.
Xi struck an equally positive tone, saying he looked forward to “in-depth exchanges with President Trump on major issues concerning our bilateral relations and the global situation.”
“Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals,” Xi said in a statement published by China’s official Xinhua news agency hours after his arrival in Washington.
Trade Truce Extended Ahead of Talks
The most significant outcome of the meeting may have already been settled before it even began: as anticipated, the United States and China agreed to extend their trade truce until January 10, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“We agreed to extend (…) the economic détente between our two countries that was set to expire on November 10 (…) to give us more time to see what we can do on the economic front,” Bessent told Fox News.
The two superpowers had decided in October 2025 to halt an escalating cycle of tariffs and restrictive trade measures that had rattled the global economy. The truce, however, has not resolved all disputes between the two nations, which remain locked in a multifaceted rivalry spanning economics, technology, military affairs and strategic influence.
Tech Leaders to Attend Gala Dinner
The race for artificial intelligence will also loom over the encounter, though no substantial progress is expected. The White House has recruited some of the biggest names in American tech for Thursday’s gala dinner, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Elon Musk of Tesla, SpaceX and X.
On Friday, Donald and Melania Trump will host their guests for tea at the White House before visiting the National Archives in Washington together.
This marks Xi’s first visit to the White House in more than a decade and his third meeting with Trump since the latter returned to power last year. Two more could follow before year’s end, at the APEC summit in China and the G20 in Florida.
