Xi Begins U.S. State Visit; Trump Greets Him on Tarmac — SkimNews
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- Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on September 23, 2026, receiving a rare planeside greeting from Trump instead of the customary White House reception, marking his first U.S. state visit in over a decade.
- Trump and First Lady Melania Trump held an arrival ceremony with Xi and Peng Liyuan, kicking off three days of formalities that include a Thursday black-tie state dinner featuring Jensen Huang of Nvidia and Elon Musk of SpaceX.
- Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the "lavish welcome" in a Tuesday Senate speech, arguing Trump should press Xi on China's military buildup and "clear support for Iran" rather than honor him at a state dinner.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the engagement from New York, calling the U.S. and China "the two largest economies in the world" and "probably the two most powerful militaries," and saying it would be "irresponsible" not to interact at the highest levels.
- Melania Trump said her husband chose the personal tarmac greeting because Xi and his wife are "coming on our soil" and deserve to be welcomed "with the most respect," reciprocating the red carpet, military honor guard, and 300 flag-waving children who greeted Air Force One in Beijing during Trump's May 2026 visit.
- Friday's agenda includes a private tea with the Trumps and a joint tour of the National Archives to view historic documents underscoring the bilateral relationship, with expectations "low that the trip will produce any major breakthroughs."
Why it matters: The state visit gives Trump a stage to showcase his personal chemistry with Xi while Senate Republicans like Wicker openly question whether China deserves red-carpet treatment amid its military buildup and Iran support. The source flags expectations for breakthroughs on trade, AI, or Taiwan as low — making the optics and personal rapport, not deliverables, the trip's main currency.
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