Trump to Greet Xi at Andrews in Rare Tarmac Welcome

newsweek.com —

President Donald Trump will personally greet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, a rare tarmac welcome that breaks standard diplomatic protocol ahead of their high-stakes summit. The meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. ET, precedes Thursday's White House talks focused on trade, tariffs, and Taiwan. Under State Department protocol, foreign heads of state are typically received by the Chief of Protocol or senior officials, not the president. This marks Trump's first such greeting during an official state visit, though he met Vladimir Putin on the tarmac in 2025. The gesture reciprocates China's red-carpet welcome for Trump in Beijing. Xi's visit includes a military honor guard, a White House ceremony with nearly 500 personnel, bilateral talks, and a state dinner—only the second of Trump's second term. A U.S.-China trade agreement expiring in November may see an extension announcement.


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Trump to Greet Xi at Andrews in Rare Tarmac Welcome | News Minimalist