Trump rolls out red carpet for Xi Jinping ahead of trade talks

President Donald Trump will personally welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at Andrews Air Force Base on Wednesday, marking the first time a US president has received a foreign leader at the airport in this manner. The unprecedented gesture precedes Xi's three-day state visit. The reception will be followed by a White House ceremony featuring a 479-member honor guard, military review, and a flyover with a B-2 bomber and F-22 jets. Trump's move contrasts with Xi's absence when Trump visited China in May, highlighting an asymmetry in diplomatic pageantry. Trade and tariffs will dominate talks, alongside rare earths, semiconductors, AI, and geopolitical issues like Taiwan and Ukraine. India watches warily, concerned that a US-China accommodation could reduce pressure on Beijing and reshape Asian dynamics.