Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in the United States for a state visit, receiving a personal welcome from U.S. President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews as Washington and Beijing seek to manage relations between the world’s two largest economies.
Xi arrived in the Washington area on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted the Chinese presidential couple at the airport in a rare planeside welcome for a visiting foreign leader.
The arrival featured a red carpet, honour guards and a 21-gun salute, while American children presented flowers to Xi and Peng. The welcome marked the beginning of Xi’s three-day state visit to the United States.
On Thursday, Trump and Melania Trump hosted Xi and Peng at a formal State Arrival Ceremony at the White House. The programme included military honours, national anthems, a military review and a flyover, underscoring the ceremonial significance attached to the visit.
The visit comes as the United States and China continue discussions on several major areas of bilateral relations, including trade, artificial intelligence, rare-earth materials and broader strategic issues. Reporting on the talks also identifies Taiwan and Iran among the international issues surrounding the leaders’ discussions.
Xi said upon arrival that China and the United States should work in the same direction and pursue a relationship characterised by cooperation, manageable differences and dialogue. He also said he looked forward to in-depth exchanges with Trump on bilateral relations and international issues.
The White House said the state visit is taking place more than a decade after Xi’s previous visit to the White House and includes formal meetings, a state dinner and further engagements in Washington.
Trump’s decision to personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews has attracted particular attention because such a planeside welcome is unusual for a U.S. president. The two leaders are now holding discussions against a backdrop of continuing competition and efforts to maintain dialogue between Washington and Beijing.
GhanaMedia.net will continue to follow developments from the Xi-Trump state visit and report significant developments as they emerge.
