Trump Personally Welcomes Xi at Rare Airport Reception for US State Visit
President Donald Trump personally welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews on September 23, 2026, marking an unusual airport reception for the start of Xi's three-day state visit to Washington. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on the tarmac, a rare gesture as American presidents typically do not travel to airports for visiting leaders. The last comparable welcomes occurred in 1962 and 1959. Xi's visit includes a formal ceremony, state dinner with US business and technology executives, and a trip to the National Archives. Talks will address limited agreements amid ongoing disputes over trade, technology, Taiwan, and Iran, marking Xi's first US visit in over a decade.