On Wednesday, Donald Trump greeted Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews with a military flyover and a 100ft (30m) red carpet laid out for him. The last time a US president received a foreign leader there was John F Kennedy, who met British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1962.
The Air China plane carrying Xi’s party touched down at 17:39 local time (22:39 BST). As it arrived, a colour and honour guard came marching up to the aircraft and positioned themselves on either side of the red carpet. Two B-1 bombers flew overhead while the Army Air Force Band played the US national anthem.
The four leaders — Trump and Melania Trump on one side, Xi and Peng Liyuan on the other — shook hands as they came off the aircraft. After that, the two pairs went their separate ways in different cars toward Washington.
The Trade Truce
Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, said the US and China have agreed to stretch their ceasefire over trade into January. The arrangement involved Trump reducing duty rates on certain items in return for Xi relaxing limits on rare earth minerals.
Bessent said the two discussed whether a more substantial trade deal between the two countries might eventually come to pass. Xi offered a written statement carried by Xinhua, saying that both China and the US are “great nations, and their people are great people.”.
“Great nations, and their people are great people.”
He argued the two nations should work together instead of competing against one another. Xi stated achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can “fully coexist, reinforce each other and benefit the world.”.
He also expressed confidence that the visit would “yield fruitful results.”
Xi’s Delegation
A group of delegates and ambassadors from Beijing, including Cai Qi, He Lifeng and Wang Yi, are traveling with Xi on his trip, which is set to conclude on Friday.
AI, Arms and Iran
Thursday’s state dinner is expected to bring leaders from US AI companies together, yet Trump has dismissed recent warnings about artificial intelligence as a “hoax.”, according to reports.
The summit touches several fronts:
| Topic | US Position | Chinese Position |
|---|---|---|
| Trade | Tariffs, Chinese imports, US agricultural exports | Rare earth minerals |
| Arms | $14bn arms sale to Taiwan | Encourage stall or kill |
| Iran | War with Iran hangs over talks | Not specified |
The source does not rank these items in priority order.
Public Opinion
A recent poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found 41% of Americans see China’s territorial ambitions as a threat, down from 52% in 2022. 57% of Americans believe the US should cooperate and engage with Beijing, cutting across the US political spectrum. 63% of Trump’s loyal base favour limiting US relations with China.
The Bottom Line
The welcome for Trump was warm, yet the substance of his visit remains a matter of dispute. The trade truce extension is genuine, though the rare earth and agricultural commitments are open to doubt.
The visit ends on Friday.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs neither the military spectacle nor the diplomatic grandeur that accompanied Xi’s arrival at Joint Base Andrews, instead backing a light touch on AI and technology that keeps startups from being frozen out, and opposing any regime that hands the market to the incumbents. The welcome for Xi was lavish, but the paper’s concern is elsewhere: it is the rules that govern AI, not the red carpet, that determine who wins the future.
The paper’s position on AI is clear: oppose any regime that hands the market to the incumbents. That means rejecting federal licensing of AI, slowdowns, and pauses that freeze today’s leaders in place and lock out whoever would have challenged them. It also means demanding transparency: forcing companies to disclose safety failures they hid, rather than letting big companies hide behind opacity. In this story, the contrast between the pomp of the welcome and the uncertain substance of the agreements echoes the paper’s broader concern about displays of power that obscure underlying arrangements.
The paper would want readers to watch for the details of any agreements made in Washington, not the ceremonial gestures. A handshake and a flyover do not settle the question of who controls the technology that shapes daily life. What matters is whether the rules leave room for startups and small businesses, or whether they merely confirm the dominance of the largest firms.
Source material: “Trump offers warm welcome as China's Xi arrives for US visit,” the BBC.
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