Trump greets China’s Xi Jinping on arrival for three-day US trip

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the United States on Wednesday for a three-day visit, and President Donald Trump broke with recent precedent by meeting him in person at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump and Xi's wife, Peng Liyuan, joined a tarmac ceremony that featured a red carpet, handshakes, a military escort, a gunfire salute and the national anthem, underscoring how much weight Washington is placing on the relationship despite years of friction over tariffs and trade. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi used a written statement to describe China and the US as potential partners rather than rivals, saying Chinese national renewal and Trump's domestic agenda could advance together for global benefit, according to Al Jazeera.

The itinerary for Xi's stay includes a state dinner with technology executives, a military ceremony at the White House and a stop at the National Archives, where the Constitution and Declaration of Independence are housed. Talks are expected to touch on the conflict with Iran, technology, rare-earth minerals, trade and the status of Taiwan, which China claims despite the island's self-rule, reflecting continued competition between the two powers even as Trump has voiced warmth toward Xi personally.

Separately, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington and Beijing had agreed to extend their 11-month tariff-relief arrangement, known as the Busan Agreement.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Al Jazeera’s reporting. Read the full story at Al Jazeera →