Trump gives Xi ceremonial welcome as US-China truce is extended

Donald Trump gave Xi Jinping an unusually personal welcome at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, opening a state visit designed to keep relations between the United States and China from deteriorating further. The two presidents are expected to discuss trade, artificial intelligence and Iran during three days of ceremony and meetings.

The arrival carried considerable symbolism. Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, after they left the Chinese president’s aircraft at the military airfield outside Washington. A red carpet had been placed on the tarmac, where a military band performed the two countries’ national anthems as the leaders stood together.

A pair of B-1 bombers passed overhead during the welcome. Trump appeared startled by the noise, while Xi showed little visible reaction. The US president also played down the fact that Xi had not offered him an equivalent airport reception during Trump’s visit to Beijing in May.

France 24 reported that the display is intended to preserve a delicate period of calm rather than produce a major diplomatic settlement. This is the third meeting between the leaders since Trump returned to the presidency, and the visit gives both governments an opportunity to project stability despite deep disagreements.

Trade pause extended

The first concrete result came from negotiations held before the leaders met. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington and Beijing had agreed to continue their trade truce beyond its scheduled November 10 end date. The arrangement will now run until January 10.

The extension follows a trade conflict intensified by Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs last year. Maintaining the pause could prevent an immediate return to escalating duties and countermeasures, but it does not resolve the broader economic dispute between the two countries.

The composition of Xi’s delegation has also lowered expectations for commercial announcements. Two sources told France 24 that no Chinese chief executives were travelling with him. That stands in contrast to the group of senior US technology figures expected at Thursday’s state banquet, including executives from prominent artificial-intelligence companies.

The visit will include a formal reception, further military flyovers, Oval Office discussions and the White House banquet. On Friday morning, Trump and Xi are due to have tea with their wives at the White House before visiting the National Archives, which houses the US Declaration of Independence.

AI and Iran on the agenda

Artificial intelligence is expected to occupy a central place in the talks. The United States and China are competing for leadership in a field both governments regard as strategically decisive for the coming decades. The technology has also prompted increasingly serious warnings from industry leaders about the possibility of catastrophic consequences, including risks to humanity’s survival.

Preliminary discussions on Sunday between Bessent and He Lifeng, China’s counterpart, included the possibility of establishing a direct channel for communicating about AI-related dangers. Such an arrangement would not end the rivalry, but it could give the two governments a way to address emergencies or concerns as their competition develops.

Iran will be another difficult subject. Trump confirmed that the conflict would be discussed, despite previously dismissing reports that Beijing had provided Tehran with intelligence. The issue has drawn particular attention in Washington because of claims that Chinese assistance may have helped Iran plan attacks against US troops.

The reports have angered China hawks in Trump’s Republican Party. Roger Wicker, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, argued that the president should remember that Xi leads an authoritarian government and was not elected. His criticism underscored the tension between the administration’s desire for a stable relationship and pressure from lawmakers who want a harder line against Beijing.

Ceremony amid domestic pressure

The scale of the welcome makes the meeting notable in its own right. France 24 said the last US president to receive a foreign leader at Andrews in this manner, apart from papal visits, was John F. Kennedy in 1962. Trump did welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin from his aircraft in Alaska last year, but Xi’s reception was presented as a particularly elaborate gesture.

For Trump, the visit also offers a chance to command attention through diplomacy and ceremony while facing political difficulties at home. The war involving Iran has pushed up fuel prices, and his approval rating has fallen to historic lows as November’s midterm elections approach.

That domestic backdrop, combined with the absence of obvious business deals and the limited trade agreement, suggests that the visit’s immediate value may lie less in signed agreements than in preventing relations from worsening. The leaders are seeking to maintain a working understanding even as Washington and Beijing remain rivals over commerce, technology and global influence.