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

Chinese President Xi Jinping embarked on his state visit to the United States on Wednesday, greeted with a rare planeside welcome from President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews. The 100-foot-long red carpet, 21-person honor guard, and flyover by B-1 bombers were part of the elaborate ceremony. This marks the first state visit to Washington D.C. for Xi in over a decade.

The three-day visit is expected to be marked by pomp and ceremony, despite the high tensions between the two nations over trade, artificial intelligence, Iran, and Taiwan. Trump has lavished praise on Xi, referring to him as a "great leader" and a friend, while also downplaying many of the contentious issues. Critics, such as Senator Roger Wicker, argue that Trump has overstepped by inviting Xi, given the numerous issues between China and the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged for continued high-level interaction between the two countries, emphasizing their status as the two largest economies and most powerful militaries.

Upon arrival, Xi was met by Vice President Han Zheng, while a red carpet was laid out for Air Force One in Beijing. The first lady, Melania Trump, stated that her husband decided to personally meet Xi due to their strong relationship. Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet for a black-tie dinner and private discussions on Thursday, with expectations of limited breakthroughs in resolving their ongoing disputes.