President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House Thursday with an elaborate display of military ceremony and pageantry as the two leaders began high-level talks on trade, artificial intelligence and other major issues affecting relations between Washington and Beijing.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, during a formal arrival ceremony that involved 479 members of the U.S. military. The ceremony featured an Armed Forces honor cordon, military bands, national anthems and remarks from both presidents before the delegations moved through additional events at the White House.
The military display continued in the Rose Garden, where Trump and Xi reviewed American troops and watched performances by the Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. Army Herald Trumpets were positioned along the White House colonnades as part of the ceremony.
The arrival concluded with a military flyover featuring a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber accompanied by four F-22 Raptor fighter jets. The display followed another unusual welcome Wednesday, when Trump personally traveled to Joint Base Andrews to greet Xi upon his arrival in the United States.
Trump described his relationship with Xi as a “truly great friendship” before the two leaders entered formal discussions. Their meeting came as the United States and China attempt to manage disagreements over tariffs, technology, critical minerals, Taiwan and China’s relationship with Iran.
Artificial intelligence was among the subjects discussed. Trump said before the meeting that AI would be a major topic, while both governments have been exploring whether limited cooperation is possible even as the United States and China compete for technological leadership.
Taiwan also came up during the closed-door meeting. According to China’s official account of the talks, Xi urged the United States to oppose Taiwanese independence. The White House had not immediately released its own detailed account of that portion of the discussion.
The visit comes after U.S. and Chinese economic officials agreed to extend their tariff truce for another two months. The two governments have spent much of the past year trying to stabilize economic relations while addressing disagreements over agricultural purchases, aircraft sales, rare-earth exports and other trade commitments.
Thursday evening, President Trump and the first lady are hosting Xi and Peng for a state dinner in the East Room. The event includes American ingredients with Chinese influences, military musical performances and decorations featuring red flowers and linens intended to reflect the color’s cultural significance in China.
Xi’s trip is his first U.S. state visit in more than a decade and follows Trump’s visit to Beijing in May. The Chinese leader’s three-day visit is scheduled to conclude Friday after the two couples have tea at the White House and visit the National Archives, where they will view documents connected to the history of U.S.-China relations.
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