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In an unusual move for a sitting US president, Trump and his wife Melania will travel to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to personally welcome Xi.
File photo of US President Donald Trump (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Image: Reuters)
US President Donald Trump will roll out the red carpet for Xi Jinping on Wednesday, giving the Chinese leader a rare personal welcome at the airport as their superpower summit gets underway.
Trump is laying on extraordinary levels of pomp for Xi’s first White House visit in more than a decade, including a lavish state banquet and a military flyover. Yet the spectacle appears aimed more at preserving the fragile detente between Washington and Beijing than at delivering any major breakthroughs on thorny issues ranging from AI and trade to Iran.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Xi “left Beijing by special plane” on Wednesday, accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, senior aide Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
In an unusual move for a sitting US president, Trump and his wife Melania will travel to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland to personally welcome Xi on the tarmac at 6pm (2200 GMT) — echoing his tarmac welcome for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last year. Notably, Xi did not extend the same courtesy to Trump during his state visit to Beijing in May, when he was instead greeted by China’s vice-president.
‘Gentleman’s Agreement’
When the two leaders meet for talks on Thursday, they will confront a host of contentious issues, chief among them growing fears that artificial intelligence could pose a threat to humanity. With Washington and Beijing locked in a race for AI dominance, few expect any concrete agreement to regulate the technology.
Preliminary talks between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng on Sunday touched on creating a communication channel for AI concerns, though few details emerged.
The ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies, along with persistent tensions over Taiwan, are also expected to dominate discussions. Analysts expect little beyond an extension of the trade truce agreed in South Korea last year.
‘Oppressive Dictator’
Trump’s lavish reception for Xi has drawn criticism within his own party.
Republican Senator Roger Wicker said he would have advised against such a welcome, adding: “Our commander-in-chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator.”
Xi’s visit concludes Friday morning with tea at the White House and a visit to the National Archives.
(With inputs from AFP)
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Ask News18US President Donald Trump is rolling out the red carpet for Xi Jinping’s first White House visit in over a decade, personally welcoming him and his wife Peng Liyuan on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. Trump is also arranging a lavish state banquet, a military flyover featuring a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and four F-22 Raptors, and concluding the trip with tea at the White House.
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