Trump rolled out the red carpet for China’s Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening, joining the first lady to personally welcome the Chinese president and his wife, Madame Peng Liyuan, to the United States. The move marks an unusual departure for Trump, who typically greets foreign leaders at the White House rather than at the airport.
The two leaders will hold private talks at the White House on Thursday. Ahead of those, the White House has arranged a full schedule of ceremonies, dinners and meetings.
Andrews Welcomes the Delegation
Trump and Melania Trump met Xi and Peng at Joint Base Andrews, where the Chinese delegation arrived in the evening. The first couple joined Xi and Peng at the tarmac to mark their arrival.
The welcome at Andrews is a departure for Trump, who has traditionally greeted foreign leaders at the White House. That pattern holds for nearly every other leader who visits Washington.
Thursday’s Formal Events
Thursday is packed with formal events. Trump and the first lady will welcome Xi and Peng at a ceremony on the State Floor of the White House.
After that, the two leaders will take part in a review of troops in the Rose Garden. The review is a traditional military ceremony that precedes formal talks.
Then the leaders move into private, formal talks. Those are expected to cover artificial intelligence safety, Taiwan, trade, the war in Iran and critical minerals.
| Event | Location |
|---|---|
| Ceremony welcoming Xi and Peng | State Floor of the White House |
| Review of troops | Rose Garden |
| Private, formal talks | White House |
| State dinner | East Room |
The State Dinner Guest List
The highlight of Thursday night is a state dinner in the East Room, hosted by Trump and the first lady. Both leaders are expected to deliver remarks at the dinner.
The guest list reads like a who’s who of corporate America. According to the White House and a source familiar with the arrangements told ABC News, the attendees include:
- Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon
- Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX
- Mark Zuckerberg, head of Meta
- Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google
- Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies
Other guests scheduled to attend the state dinner include:
- Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia
- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
- Jane Fraser, CEO of Citigroup
- Tim Cook, who recently stepped down as CEO of Apple
Friday’s Tea and Tour
On Friday, Xi and Peng are scheduled to join Trump and the first lady for a private tea. They will also take a tour of the National Archives to view historical national documents.
Xi is expected to depart the U.S. later Friday, wrapping up the visit.
Xi’s Last Visit
Xi’s last state visit to the U.S. was in September 2015 during the Obama administration. Trump visited China last May for talks with Xi.
The Verdict
Trump’s decision to roll out the red carpet at Andrews sets a precedent for how he greets foreign leaders. The rest of the visit follows a familiar template: formal welcomes, private talks, a state dinner and a farewell tour.
Whether the arrangement changes how business leaders operate remains to be seen. For now, the schedule tells you who matters in this particular diplomatic exchange.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs neither side’s use of Joint Base Andrews as a stage for presidential diplomacy, instead backing the long tradition of welcoming foreign leaders at the White House rather than at the airport. A leader’s first duty is to represent the country, not to stage-manage the optics of his own administration.
The decision to meet Xi at Andrews carries real costs. It removes the White House, where presidents have welcomed visitors since the founding of the republic, from its accustomed role. It puts the military, whose duty is to fight, not to host foreign dignitaries, in an unfamiliar spotlight. And it turns a simple courtesy into a spectacle, one that draws attention away from the substance of the talks themselves.
The paper would prefer that the welcome happen at the White House, where it has happened for generations. That is the established custom, and customs exist for a reason: they provide stability, continuity and respect. A leader who breaks with that custom without good reason appears arbitrary.
Source material: “Trump rolls out the red carpet for China's Xi,” ABC News.
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