Xi arrives in Washington for state visit as Trump offers rare planeside welcome
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a state visit, receiving a rare planeside welcome from President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews, an honor typically reserved for the White House. The three-day visit includes a formal state dinner on Thursday. Trump’s decision to greet Xi personally, with a red carpet, honor guard, and military flyover, reciprocates the pageantry of Trump’s May trip to China. The visit occurs amid high tensions over trade, artificial intelligence, Iran, and Taiwan, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio defending high-level engagement as necessary. Senator Roger Wicker criticized the "lavish welcome," calling Xi a "brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator." The schedule includes a black-tie dinner with tech leaders, private tea, and a National Archives tour, though no major breakthroughs are expected.