Trump greets Xi Jinping at plane as Chinese leader arrives for state visit

US president to give red-carpet treatment to Chinese counterpart despite tensions over AI development AI, trade, Taiwan and climate: what will and won’t be on agenda at Trump-Xi summit Donald Trump welcomed Xi Jinping on Wednesday evening, taking the unusual step of greeting the Chinese leader on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews to kick off his state visit to Washington. Xi’s plane was met with a lavish arrival ceremony that included a 100ft long red carpet flanked by US service members, a military flyover by two B-1 bombers and a presentation of the flags and national anthems of both countries. US presidents typically welcome foreign leaders at the White House, but Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to the the military base in Maryland, just outside Washington, to personally shake Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan’s hands upon their arrival in the US. It came as Scott ⁠Bessent, the US treasury secretary, announced that the US ⁠and ​China agreed on Wednesday to extend the so-called “Busan ⁠agreement” – a temporary trade truce between the world’s two biggest economies. Bessent, who met Chinese vice-premier He Lifeng earlier on Wednesday, told Fox News the agreement would be extended until 10 January, two months after it was due to expire.

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