Xi Jinping lands in Washington with Trump waiting on the tarmac

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for a three-day state visit. US President Donald Trump greeted him personally at Joint Base Andrews, a rare planeside welcome. According to The Mainichi, a 100-foot long red carpet was unfurled and a 21-person honor guard was arrayed for the occasion.

The decision to meet Xi at Joint Base Andrews, rather than receiving him at the White House, was seen as a sign of honour by Channel News Asia and other outlets. The welcome ceremony included a flyover by two B-1 bombers, flower presenters, platoons from each military service, and a presentation of the flags and anthems of both countries.

Xi's visit is his first state visit to Washington in more than a decade and is expected to be saturated with pomp. The state visit includes a formal state dinner at the White House on Thursday, intended to reciprocate the ceremonial grandeur of Trump's May visit to China, as reported by Channel News Asia. The two leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and Iran, according to Hindustan Times.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Mainichi, Channel News Asia, Hindustan Times - World News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.