Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in the Washington area for a three-day state visit that puts some of the most consequential disputes between the United States and China directly on the table.
Xi landed at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, where President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump personally greeted him and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan. The unusual airport welcome underscored the importance both governments have placed on the visit.
The White House has planned an elaborate state welcome for Thursday before Trump and Xi move into formal discussions. The ceremony will span the South Lawn, State Floor and Rose Garden and feature 479 members of the U.S. military representing all branches of the armed forces.
The visit marks Xi’s first trip to Washington in more than a decade. His last visit to the U.S. capital came in 2015, making the return particularly significant as Washington and Beijing attempt to manage a relationship defined by both economic cooperation and intense strategic competition.
