Xi Jinping welcomed in Washington with elaborate ceremony

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived in Washington on Wednesday, beginning a three-day state visit to the United States at the invitation of President Donald Trump. Their aircraft landed at Joint Base Andrews near the capital, where the couple was personally greeted by Trump and First Lady Melania.

The welcoming ceremony was elaborate: children presented flowers on a red carpet, two B-1 bombers flew over the site, an artillery salute was fired, and a US Navy band played the national anthems of both countries. An honor guard also greeted Xi and Peng.

Topics on the agenda

During the visit, which concludes on Friday, the two sides are expected to discuss several sensitive issues, including trade disputes and tariffs between the countries, security concerns tied to artificial intelligence, as well as the US war against Iran and Russia's war against Ukraine.

Trump has prepared an extensive program for his guest, including a military parade planned for Thursday, alongside a state dinner and a tea ceremony.

This marks Xi's first visit to the US since 2023, when he traveled to California for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and met with then-President Joe Biden. Trump's invitation for Xi to visit the White House came in May, during Trump's own visit to Beijing.

The leaders' meeting could be overshadowed by an agreement between the US and Denmark on Greenland, concluded on Tuesday. Trump has stated the agreement was necessary because, in his view, US adversaries China and Russia want to gain control over the Danish-held Arctic island, while Copenhagen is unable to prevent this on its own.