Trump and his wife Melania greeted Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan after the president descended from his plane at Joint Base Andrews, a military airfield outside Washington.
Trump’s decision to greet Xi at on the tarmac rather than receiving him at the executive residence shows how far the US president is going to honour China’s leader as he made his first state visit to the US capital in more than a decade.
The greeting marks the first time a US president has welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews in 11 years, when President Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis in 2015, according to C-SPAN, which tracks presidential events.
A 30-metre long red carpet was unfurled at the bottom of the staircase placed at the door of Xi’s plane, where a 21-person honour guard was arrayed and the Trumps stood waiting for Xi and Peng when they walked down the staircase and shook hands with the hosts.
The salutation kicks off a three-day visit that’s expected to be saturated with pomp, even by White House standards.
Additional fanfare during the trip is due to include a state dinner with tech luminaries, a White House military ceremony including jet flyovers and a visit to the National Archives where the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed.
Trump has lavished praise on Xi as a “great leader” and described a warm relationship with the man he has called a friend.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US and China must interact at the highest levels because the countries are “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,” Rubio told reporters Wednesday while he was in New York.
Trump has made it clear he wants to wow Xi , telling reporters in recent weeks that he was delighted his new “work of art” helicopter landing pad would be ready for the visit while bemoaning that his massive White House ballroom would not.
Trump on Wednesday was looking to match the pageantry he was met with in China earlier this year. Xi was not at the airport to meet Trump – Vice President Han Zheng was there instead. But a red carpet was rolled out to meet Air Force One in Beijing.
A military honour guard, a military band and about 300 Chinese youths waving Chinese and American flags and chanting, “Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!” were also present. The children wore white and light blue uniforms that mirrored the traditional paint colors of the presidential plane.
Melania Trump said earlier on Wednesday that her husband decided to personally greet Xi when he arrived in the Washington region because “they have a great relationship.”
“He’s coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect,” she said of Xi and his wife during an interview on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends.”
Trump’s airport ceremony for Xi will be followed on Thursday by more formalities, including an arrival ceremony at the White House and a review of troops. Before the black-tie dinner, which will feature tech industry leaders like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and SpaceX’s Elon Musk , the two leaders are expected to dive into weighty issues behind closed doors.
On Friday, Xi and Peng will be back at the White House for a private tea with the Trumps before joining them on a tour of the National Archives in Washington. The White House has said they will view historic documents underscoring the relationship between the two countries. (Agencies)
