China’s Xi arrives in Washington, kicking off his state visit with rare planeside welcome from Trump

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on September 23rd for a three-day state visit, marked by a rare planeside greeting from President Donald Trump. This marks the first time Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, welcomed Xi at Joint Base Andrews, rather than at the White House. The visit is expected to be lavish, even by White House standards, with a formal state dinner at the White House on Thursday.

The trip aims to "keep strategic stability" between the two nations, despite high tensions over trade, artificial intelligence, Iran, and China's stance on Taiwan. Despite the pomp, some critics, like Senator Roger Wicker, argue that Trump should not have invited Xi due to multiple issues with the Chinese government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintains that such high-level interactions are necessary given the economic and military power of both nations.