en.malanginspirasi.com – In an unusual display of diplomacy, President Donald Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping directly on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews as the foreign leader arrived in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit.
The arrival coincided with an announcement from top administration officials that the two global superpowers have agreed to push back their trade truce deadline through early January.
Speaking on Fox News, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the two nations—which previously agreed to hold off on new trade restrictions and roll back existing tariffs—will extend their current standstill to January 10.
The extra runway provides both administrations breathing room before upcoming international summits scheduled in China and Florida.
“I don’t know whether a bigger deal can be done. I don’t know whether we will just roll the current deal,” Bessent noted during his televised appearance.
Grand Pageantry at Joint Base Andrews
Rather than receiving President Xi at the White House, President Trump—joined by First Lady Melania Trump—broke standard protocol to greet Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, right as they disembarked Air Force One’s Chinese counterpart.
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The arrival ceremony featured high-profile honors, including a 100-foot red carpet lined with a 21-person honor guard and platoons representing every branch of the U.S. military.
The spectacle was highlighted by a flyover executed by two B-1 bombers alongside formal presentations of both national flags and anthems.
Trump removed a glove to shake hands with Xi, at one point giving the Chinese president a back-slap during their exchange on the tarmac.
Following his return to the White House on Wednesday evening, Trump commented briefly on the warm reception:
“I think they appreciate it, tremendous people,” Trump told reporters.
In an official statement released upon landing, President Xi reflected on the future of Sino-American relations:
“[Our countries] should be partners, not rivals. Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand and the two countries can contribute to each other’s success, thereby benefiting the wider world.”
High-Stakes Schedule Ahead
The official state visit will pick up on Thursday with a White House arrival ceremony, a troop review, and a black-tie dinner featuring key American technology executives, including SpaceX’s Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.
Addressing his desire to match the grand scale of host receptions he experienced during past visits to Beijing, Trump expressed minor frustration regarding White House renovations:
“I wish we had it for tomorrow night,”Trump remarked, referencing the ongoing construction of a massive White House ballroom.
Meanwhile, First Lady Melania Trump reaffirmed the rationale behind personally meeting the Chinese delegation at the airport:
“He’s coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect,”she stated in an interview with Fox News, pointing to the strong personal relationship between the two commanders-in-chief.
The state visit is scheduled to conclude Friday with a private tea at the White House and a guided tour of historic diplomatic documents housed at the National Archives.
