World
Trump welcomes Chinese President Xi as US-China summit gets underway
WATCH: ▶️ Trump’s decision to meet Xi at Joint Base Andrews airport marked the first time since 1962 that a US president has personally welcomed a foreign leader at the base.
US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington with a high-profile military ceremony, as the two leaders begin a three-day summit focused on trade, technology and other major areas of tension between the two countries.
Xi arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday evening, where Trump and First Lady Melania Trump personally greeted him and his wife, Peng Liyuan.
The Chinese leader was welcomed with a red carpet, a military honor guard, marching band and a flyover by two US B-1 bombers. Trump’s decision to meet Xi at the airport marked the first time since 1962 that a US president has personally welcomed a foreign leader at the base.
Xi’s visit to Washington is his first since 2015 and comes as the two countries seek to maintain a fragile trade truce.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that Washington and Beijing had agreed to extend their current trade truce until January. The arrangement had been due to expire on 10 November.
The agreement has involved the US lowering tariffs on some Chinese goods in exchange for China easing restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals.
Bessent said discussions with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng also covered the possibility of reaching a broader trade agreement.
In a statement carried by China’s state news agency Xinhua, Xi said the US and China should be “partners rather than rivals”, adding that cooperation between the two countries could benefit the world.
The summit is expected to address a wide range of issues, including trade and tariffs, rare earth minerals, agricultural exports, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Trump is expected to seek increased Chinese purchases of US agricultural products, greater access to Chinese rare earth minerals and lower Chinese tariffs on American goods.
Taiwan is also expected to feature in the talks, with Beijing opposing US arms sales to the self-governing island.
Xi is travelling with senior Chinese officials including Cai Qi, a member of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, Vice Premier He Lifeng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The Chinese president is expected to attend a state dinner at the White House on Thursday, with leaders from the US artificial intelligence industry among the guests.
The two countries are competing for greater influence in AI, while also debating the regulation and potential risks associated with the technology.
Xi’s visit will conclude on Friday.
