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Trump greets Xi Jinping with red carpet and military flyover

cultureSep 23, 2026516,465

President Trump greeted Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping at the airport with a red carpet ceremony and a military flyover to kick off Xi’s three-day state visit to Washington, the first state visit by a Chinese leader since 2015. The White House has promoted the visit as one of the most consequential diplomatic events of Trump’s second term alongside his trip to China in May. The meeting comes as a trade agreement between the two countries is set to expire in November. Trump has repeatedly described his relationship with Xi as "excellent," a tone that has drawn criticism from some Republicans. Senator Mark Wicker, chair of the Armed Services Committee, called the "lavish welcome" inappropriate given "all the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party." Politico quoted Republican strategist Barret Marson saying Xi’s visit undercuts Republican messaging that frames Democrats as sympathetic to socialism or communism. The visit is expected to include discussions of trade, tariffs, artificial intelligence cooperation, and the Iran war over the next three days.

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