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U.S. President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet this Wednesday to receive his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, with full honors during his first state visit to Washington in over a decade, featuring an unusual arrival ceremony at the foot of the plane.
The pompous reception, which is not standard in the United States, reflected the importance the White House attaches to the Chinese leader's visit, with whom Trump is betting on personal rapport to alleviate tensions between the two largest world powers.
Xi landed at 5:40 PM local time (21:40 GMT) aboard an Air China plane at Andrews Air Force Base, on the outskirts of Washington, and descended from the aircraft alongside his wife, Peng Liyuan, to meet with Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
The American leader personally greeted his guest at the foot of the stairs, a gesture rarely seen for a foreign head of state, before both listened to the national anthems and reviewed a military formation.
The ceremony also included a flyover by two B-1 bombers, the deafening noise of which caused Trump to wince while Xi remained impassive.
With this display, Trump sought to reciprocate the honors Xi bestowed upon him during their last meeting, held this past May in Beijing.
This week's visit is Xi's first state visit to Washington since 2015, when he was received by then-President Barack Obama, and marks the third face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Trump's return to the White House.
The central day will be this Thursday, when Trump and Xi will meet at the White House and participate in a formal welcome ceremony, followed by a state dinner at the presidential residence.
The goal is to ease tensions in a relationship marked by commercial, technological, and geopolitical disputes, ranging from tariffs and rare earth minerals to the Iran war, Taiwan, and the race for artificial intelligence (AI).
Although no major agreements are expected, both leaders will likely attempt to preserve the cordial tone of their previous meetings and keep communication channels open in a relationship increasingly defined by strategic competition.
[Publicidad]