Trump rolls out rare airport welcome for Xi as US-China talks begin

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump personally welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, in an unusually high-profile gesture as the two powers seek to manage deep differences over trade, technology and security.

Xi arrived at the Maryland military base shortly before 6pm local time on September 23.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and Peng at the bottom of the aircraft stairs, shook hands with the couple and walked with them during the arrival ceremony. A 100-foot red carpet, a 21-member honour guard and military flyover formed part of the welcome.

The White House had confirmed beforehand that Trump would personally greet Xi at Andrews, departing from the usual practice of receiving visiting leaders at the White House.

The airport welcome was particularly notable because the last time a US president personally received a foreign leader at Andrews — other than the Pope — was 1962, when President John F. Kennedy welcomed British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, according to Bloomberg reporting carried by The Business Times and The Straits Times.

The distinction is important: Trump is the first US president in about six decades to personally welcome a foreign leader at Andrews, not simply the first president to receive a Chinese leader there.

Xi's previous state visit to Washington, in 2015, was different. His aircraft was met at the airport by then-Vice President Joe Biden, while the formal reception took place later.

The gesture provides a striking opening image for a summit between the world's two largest economies after months of tension.

Xi's September 23-25 visit is his first trip to Washington in more than a decade and comes as Washington and Beijing try to preserve an 11-month trade truce.

China and the US have been negotiating over tariffs, rare-earth supplies, agricultural purchases and technology restrictions.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said American and Chinese negotiators still had “some unfinished business” following talks in New York, while stressing the US goal of strategic stability based on “reciprocity and fairness”.

The broader agenda extends beyond trade. Trump and Xi are expected to discuss artificial intelligence, critical minerals, Taiwan and other security issues, while the two governments seek to prevent economic disputes from escalating into a wider confrontation. Reuters described the visit as a test of relations amid tensions over trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran.

The airport welcome came as Washington and Beijing moved towards extending their fragile trade truce.

China has significant leverage in critical minerals and rare-earth supply chains, while the US has maintained restrictions affecting advanced technologies and semiconductor-related trade.

The two sides therefore have incentives to prevent a renewed tariff escalation, but major disagreements remain over technology, market access and national security.

Reuters reported that the visit was not expected to produce major breakthroughs, although an extension of the trade truce remained possible.

The personal airport greeting was only the opening act.

On September 24, Trump and Melania Trump are scheduled to host Xi and Peng at a formal State Arrival Ceremony at the White House.

The ceremony is expected to involve 479 military personnel, followed by military demonstrations and a flyover featuring a B-2 bomber and four F-22 Raptors.

Trump and Xi are then scheduled to hold talks, while the two first ladies have a separate programme.

A state dinner is planned for Thursday evening, followed by a private tea and National Archives visit on Friday before Xi's departure.

The symbolism of Trump's airport welcome is therefore significant, but the substantive test will come at the negotiating table — particularly over trade, technology, rare earths, Taiwan and the broader US-China relationship.