Washington, September 24, 2026: US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump personally welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday as Xi began a three-day state visit aimed at easing tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Trump and Melania greeted the Chinese president and his wife beside their aircraft after Xi arrived at the US military base outside Washington.
The welcome marked the first time in 11 years that a US president had personally received a foreign leader at the facility. According to C-SPAN, the previous US president to welcome a foreign leader there was Barack Obama, who received Pope Francis in 2015.
Trump and Xi stood side by side on the tarmac as a military band played the US and Chinese national anthems. The ceremony featured an elaborate military display, including a red carpet measuring about 100 feet and six F-22 and six F-16 fighter jets lined up on the tarmac.
A flyover by two B-1 bombers also took place during the ceremony.
Xi’s arrival launched a closely watched visit featuring several high-profile events, including military ceremonies and a state dinner at the White House on Thursday.
The Chinese president is scheduled to hold talks with Trump at the White House, with trade, tariffs, artificial intelligence, drug trafficking and military-to-military communication expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
The airport reception was notable as Trump did not receive a similar personal welcome from Xi during the US president’s visit to Beijing in May.
Xi was accompanied by senior Chinese officials, including Cai Qi, a close aide to the president, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to Chinese state media.
Two sources told AFP that no Chinese chief executives were part of Xi’s delegation, despite plans for senior US technology executives, including leaders of major artificial intelligence companies, to attend Thursday’s White House dinner.
The visit comes as Washington and Beijing seek to manage longstanding disputes while exploring areas for cooperation. Possible tariff reductions in some sectors, efforts to combat drug trafficking, expanded military-to-military dialogue and cooperation and competition in artificial intelligence are expected to be discussed.
Xi is also scheduled to visit the US National Archives during his stay.
