Trump greets Xi with rare tarmac welcome as Chinese leader begins US visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, receiving a rare planeside greeting from U.S. President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews. The welcome included a red carpet, honor guard, and bomber flyover, marking an unusually lavish ceremony. Trump personally greeted Xi instead of waiting at the White House, with first lady Melania Trump citing their "great relationship." The visit features a formal state dinner Thursday with tech leaders, though tensions remain high over trade, AI, Iran, and Taiwan. Republican Sen. Roger Wicker criticized the "lavish welcome," calling Xi a "brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator." Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the engagement as necessary between the world's two largest economies. The visit reciprocates Trump's May trip to China.