Trump’s high-level welcome for Xi puts personal diplomacy in focus, analysts say - CNA
US President Donald Trump’s rare personal airport welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping gives Xi valuable political optics, while the leaders’ reciprocal visits signal efforts to keep US-China ties stable, experts tell CNA.
US President Donald Trump receives Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, Sep 23, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)
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Marcel Pereira 24 Sep 2026 04:44PM (Updated: 24 Sep 2026 04:49PM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST The diplomacy began before Chinese President Xi Jinping reached the White House.
United States President Donald Trump was waiting at Joint Base Andrews, a US military airfield outside Washington, when Xi's plane touched down on Wednesday (Sep 23), personally greeting the Chinese leader and his wife Peng Liyuan alongside First Lady Melania Trump.
Such airport greetings by US presidents are rare, with visiting leaders typically received at the White House, where Trump and Xi are set to meet on Thursday.
Analysts say the reception underscores the value both leaders place on personal engagement and displays of respect, ahead of discussions on a range of issues.
CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Related: China's Xi arrives in US to personal Trump welcome From Beijing to Washington: US-China ties face a test as Trump, Xi meet again “POLITICAL CURRENCY”Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, described the overt display of respect as a form of “political currency” that was relatively easy and low-cost for Trump, but carried political value for Xi.
“He knows that Xi Jinping wants this kind of treatment, that it's important to him politically,” Thompson told CNA's Asia Now.
Xi has important political meetings ahead, Thompson noted. The Communist Party's fifth plenum will be held from Oct 26 to 29, while its 21st Party Congress is expected in 2027.
