Trump greets Xi on tarmac as Chinese leader arrives for state visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a state visit, receiving a rare planeside greeting from U.S. President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews, an honor typically reserved for close allies. The gesture underscores Trump's effort to reciprocate the ceremonial grandeur of his own May visit to China. The arrival ceremony featured a 30-meter red carpet, a 21-person honor guard, a B-1 bomber flyover, and presentations of both nations' flags and anthems. Trump, wearing gloves, removed one to shake Xi's hand. The three-day visit includes a formal state dinner Thursday with tech leaders, though tensions remain high over trade, artificial intelligence, Iran, and Taiwan. Republican Sen. Roger Wicker criticized the "lavish welcome," calling Xi a "brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator" in a Senate speech. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the engagement, saying the two largest economies and militaries must interact at the highest levels. The visit is expected to yield no major breakthroughs.