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Xi Jinping is in America. Trump’s unusual welcome
It had been since 2015 that the Chinese president had last made a state visit to the United States. The greeting on the tarmac is a gesture not usually made by an American president, who, by convention, welcomes the guest directly at the White House
24 SEP 26
Translated by AI
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping with an unusually lavish ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. It is customary for U.S. leaders not to welcome visiting heads of state at the airport, preferring to reserve the reception for the White House. And Xi had not welcomed Trump at Beijing airport in May when the US president was on a state visit. Chinese diplomacy often focuses on the symmetry of reciprocity during carefully planned visits; the display of hospitality for Trump is an attempt to go beyond the reception in Beijing, as a gesture of courtesy towards his guest. Xi’s arrival marked the start of China’s first state visit to Washington since 2015. Both leaders are mindful of the symbolism inherent even in the smallest gestures.