US President Donald Trump is set to give Chinese President Xi Jinping an elaborate welcome at the White House on Thursday as the two leaders seek to maintain a fragile truce between the world’s two largest economies.
Xi arrived in the United States on Wednesday, September 23, where Trump personally welcomed him at Joint Base Andrews — a rare gesture that marked the first time in more than six decades that a US president had received a foreign leader at the military base.
The formal state visit on Thursday will feature a grand ceremony on the White House South Lawn, a military review and flyover, followed by talks between the two leaders in the Oval Office.
The visit will conclude with a state banquet hosted by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan.
The White House said the arrival ceremony will involve 479 military personnel representing all branches of the US Armed Forces, alongside military demonstrations and a flyover featuring a B-2 Spirit and four F-22 Raptors.
The high-profile reception comes as Washington and Beijing attempt to steady relations following years of tensions over trade, technology, rare earth minerals and other strategic issues.
Trump and Xi are expected to discuss trade relations, artificial intelligence and critical mineral supplies, among other issues.
The leaders are also seeking to preserve a trade truce that has helped ease some of the economic tensions between the two countries.
Xi's visit is scheduled to end on Friday, when he and Peng will have tea with the Trumps before visiting the National Archives in Washington.
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