Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington for a three-day visit, where Donald Trump was due to give him a rare personal welcome at the airport.
Mr Trump and first lady Melania Trump were at Joint Base Andrews, just outside the US capital, for an arrival ceremony for Mr Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan. The gesture underlined the importance the US president has attached to the visit, which is the Chinese leader’s first state visit to Washington in more than a decade.
The programme includes a formal state dinner at the White House on Thursday, intended to match the ceremonial reception Mr Trump received during his visit to China in May. Further formalities are due to include an arrival ceremony and a troop inspection.
The display of pageantry comes as relations between the two countries remain strained by disputes over trade, artificial intelligence, Mr Trump’s war with Iran and China’s designs on Taiwan.
Despite the low expectation of a major breakthrough, the two leaders are expected to hold private discussions on the issues affecting the relationship. The state dinner is set to include technology figures such as Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
Mr Trump has repeatedly praised Mr Xi as a “great leader” and described their relationship as warm. Mrs Trump said her husband had chosen to greet the Chinese president personally because “they have a great relationship”.
“He’s coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect,” she said during an interview with Fox News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended engagement between the two governments, saying the US and China were “the two largest economies in the world” and “probably the two most powerful militaries in the world”.
“The idea that we would not interact with them at the highest levels is irresponsible. It’s outrageous. We have to,” Mr Rubio told reporters in New York.
The airport reception is intended to reciprocate the spectacle surrounding Mr Trump’s visit to Beijing earlier this year. Mr Xi was not present at the airport on that occasion, where Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng greeted the US president as a red carpet, military honour guard and band were assembled.
About 300 Chinese youths also waved Chinese and American flags and chanted: “Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!”
On Friday, Mr Xi and Ms Peng are due to return to the White House for a private tea with the Trumps before visiting the National Archives to view historic documents highlighting the relationship between the two countries.
