Trump’s red carpet for Xi’s visit

Welcome Mr. Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plane landed Wednesday, September 23, at Andrews Air Force Base, just outside Washington. Donald Trump greeted him there.

The red carpet laid out at the foot of Xi’s plane was one of many details that underscored the way Trump wanted to give the Chinese president an exceptional welcome.

Donald Trump personally greeted Xi at the foot of the steps. This is highly unusual for a US president to do when receiving foreign leaders.

As The New York Times recalled, the usual protocol is for the President of the United States to wait at the White House for his guest.

Some media outlets went back to 1963, claiming that the last time a president received his counterpart from another country at the foot of the steps during an official visit was when John Fitzgerald Kennedy welcomed British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

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Melania Trump accompanied her husband and greeted China’s First Lady, Peng Liyuan. Melania Trump’s presence also speaks volumes about how important her husband considered the event. The First Lady of the United States is usually absent from the public agenda.

Flowers and military honors greeted Xi, the president of China. They also immediately announced a first agreement. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Fox News that the trade truce, under which the United States and China paused the tariff escalation Trump had unleashed to restrict Chinese imports, would be extended for another two months in connection with the visit.

Chinese state media released a statement from Xi on the visit: “China and the United States should strengthen their ties, promoting a stable relationship based on cooperation, keeping competition within reasonable limits, managing differences and seeking peace.”

Xi said he was visiting the United States ready to “hold an in-depth dialogue with President Trump on important issues related to bilateral relations and current world affairs.”

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and that’s a red line for Xi. There’s no possibility of dialogue on the matter. Historically, the United States has supported Taiwan, but with Trump, you never know.

Developing artificial intelligence is also a source of tension between China and the United States. However, in this case, Trump and Xi agree on one thing: despite the fears expressed by scientists involved in AI development, both believe progress must continue without hindering this field of technology.

China and the United States have been competing for global hegemony for years. However, it now seems that Trump prefers understanding to confrontation. In reality, Trump has broken all the rules so far. It is not just that he regards Xi as a friend—China is a superpower that no one officially rejects—but also that his circle of friends includes a dictator as eccentric as North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.

In the streets of Washington, some people wanted to welcome President Xi by waving Chinese and American flags. The red carpet at Andrews Air Force Base perfectly symbolized what Trump intended: that Xi would feel welcome upon his arrival in the United States