WASHINGTON D.C Sept 23, 2026 – President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump personally welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening, breaking with typical protocol to greet the Chinese leader as his plane landed.
The White House Rapid Response account posted video of the arrival, showing the two couples exchanging handshakes at the base of the aircraft stairs amid an honor guard, American flag, and military personnel. The clip captures a formal tarmac ceremony complete with a long red carpet rolled out beside the Chinese aircraft.
The welcome marks the start of Xi’s first state visit to the United States in 11 years and his first trip to the country since 2023. It is also the third meeting between Trump and Xi in the past year, following a summit in South Korea in October 2025 and a state visit by Trump to Beijing in May 2026.
U.S. presidents rarely travel to Andrews to receive foreign leaders. The last comparable instance was Barack Obama greeting Pope Francis in 2015. Trump’s decision to meet Xi planeside, rather than waiting at the White House, underscored the emphasis both sides are placing on the visit.
The three-day itinerary includes a formal South Lawn arrival ceremony Thursday morning with nearly 500 service members, a flyover featuring a B-2 bomber and F-22 fighters, bilateral talks, and a state dinner Thursday evening expected to include executives from major American technology firms. First ladies Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan are scheduled to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. The visit concludes Friday with a tour of the National Archives.
The summit comes as a one-year trade truce, reached in late 2025, nears expiration. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Wednesday that the two sides had already agreed to extend the arrangement by two months, through January 10. Broader talks are expected to cover artificial intelligence, critical minerals, Taiwan, tariffs, and relations involving Iran and Russia.
Both governments have described the visit as an opportunity to manage differences and stabilize the world’s most important bilateral relationship. Officials have lowered expectations for major breakthroughs, framing the meetings instead as a chance to keep channels open and prevent further deterioration. Thursday’s White House events will test whether the pageantry produces any concrete results.
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