Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday evening, taking the unusual step of greeting the leader on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. The arrival was marked by a 100‑foot red carpet, a fly‑over of two B‑1 bombers, and the display of both nations’ flags and anthems. Traditionally, foreign heads of state are received at the White House, but Trump and First Lady Melania travelled to the Maryland base to shake hands with Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, personally.
At the same time, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the United States and China had agreed to extend the Busan agreement, a temporary trade truce between the two largest economies. Bessent, who met Chinese vice‑premier He Lifeng earlier that day, told Fox News the extension would run until 10 January, two months beyond its original expiry.
The ceremony will be followed by a formal state welcome on the South Lawn, a private tea with the president and first lady, and a tour of the National Archives. The visit also faces the simmering trade war, the race for dominance in artificial intelligence, and broader geopolitical tensions. On Thursday, the White House has invited executives from OpenAI, Apple, xAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, Meta and others to a state dinner for Xi.
During the fly‑over, Trump visibly winced at the sound of the jet, a moment that was widely mocked online. Video of the incident was shown on a White House livestream but omitted from the edited highlights released by Trump’s aides. Trump has dismissed concerns about AI’s risks, calling them a “sick conspiracy” and insisting that leading AI development is essential for U.S. military and economic supremacy.
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