US military's red carpet adjustment for Xi draws online criticism
A video of US military personnel adjusting a red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival has sparked online backlash, with critics calling the welcome degrading. The 12-second clip shows service members smoothing the carpet at Joint Base Andrews before Xi emerged, as Chinese officials watched. Trump greeted Xi with a rare plane-side welcome, including military flyovers and a 21-gun salute, drawing comparisons to his treatment of other leaders. Social media users criticized the ceremony amid US-China tensions, with some calling it shameful. Analysts cautioned against overinterpreting the footage, noting both nations maintain strong capabilities. Trump's White House ballroom remains under construction, about 65 percent complete.