Xi gets rare tarmac welcome from Trump during high-stakes Washington visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit marked by unusual ceremony, with President Donald Trump going to Joint Base Andrews to receive him on the tarmac instead of waiting at the White House. The visit is Xi's first state visit to the US capital in more than a decade and comes as ties between the two countries remain strained over trade, artificial intelligence, Trump's war with Iran and China's designs on Taiwan.
The visit is expected to be heavy on pageantry, including a formal state dinner at the White House on Thursday, in what the US side sees as a return gesture after the ceremonial welcome Trump received during his trip to China in May. At the same time, both sides are expected to use the visit to try to maintain what has been described as "strategic stability", though expectations for any major breakthrough remain low.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at the base for an arrival ceremony for Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan. The decision to greet Xi planeside showed how far Trump was prepared to go to honour the Chinese leader. Trump has repeatedly praised Xi as a "great leader" and has described a warm relationship with the man he has called a friend.
Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticised the "lavish welcome". Speaking in the Senate on Tuesday, Wicker said Trump should not have invited the Chinese leader "based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party". He also suggested Trump could raise topics such as "the purposes of China's massive military buildup, or about China's clear support for Iran", and said that "during every minute of dialogue" Trump should keep in mind that "his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbours and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America".
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US and China had to remain engaged at the highest levels because they are "the two largest economies in the world" and "probably the two most powerful militaries in the world". "The idea that we would not interact with them at the highest levels is irresponsible. It's outrageous. We have to," Rubio told reporters in New York on Wednesday.
Trump had made clear in recent weeks that he wanted to impress Xi. He told reporters he was pleased that his new "work of art" helicopter landing pad would be ready for the visit, while also saying his new White House ballroom would not be completed in time. The welcome appeared designed to match the ceremonial treatment Trump received in China earlier this year. Xi did not meet Trump at the airport during that visit, with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng receiving him instead, but Air Force One was greeted in Beijing with a red carpet, a military honour guard, a military band and about 300 Chinese youths waving Chinese and American flags and chanting, "Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!" The children wore white and light blue uniforms matching the traditional paint colours of the presidential aircraft.
Melania Trump said earlier on Wednesday that her husband had decided to personally greet Xi on arrival because "they have a great relationship". "He's coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect," she said of Xi and Peng in an interview on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends".
Thursday's programme includes a formal arrival ceremony at the White House and a review of troops. Before the black-tie state dinner, which is expected to include technology industry leaders such as Nvidia's Jensen Huang and SpaceX's Elon Musk, the two leaders are due to hold closed-door talks on the main issues affecting the relationship.
On Friday, Xi and Peng are scheduled to return to the White House for a private tea with Trump and Melania Trump before joining them for a visit to the National Archives in Washington. The White House has said they will view historic documents highlighting ties between the two countries, capping a visit that combines high ceremony with difficult discussions.
