From slamming Obama's Xi welcome to rolling out the red carpet: Trump’s dramatic China shift in 14 years
Trump once questioned Obama’s reception of Xi Jinping. Fourteen years later, he personally welcomed the Chinese president to Washington with an elaborate military ceremony.
Fourteen years after US President Donald Trump criticized the Barack Obama administration for the reception given to Xi Jinping in Washington, Trump himself has staged a more elaborate welcome for the Chinese president. In February 2012, Trump wrote that Obama hosted Xi Jinping at the Pentagon with a full honor ceremony, including music and cannons, but did not personally greet Xi.
In stark contrast, Trump personally greeted Xi at Joint Base Andrews in 2026, marking the first time a US president welcomed a foreign leader at the base since 1962. The 2026 welcome featured a red carpet, an honor guard, a gun salute, and a military flyover with B-1B bombers, along with a state dinner at the White House attended by 479 US service members.
Trump's criticism of Obama's handling of Xi's 2012 visit reflected his tougher stance towards China at the time.
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