Trump welcomes Xi to Washington as US, China agree to extend trade truce
Trump takes rare step of meeting foreign leader at the airport, underscoring significance of US-China relationship.
United States President Donald Trump has welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping as he arrived in the US for a three-day trip focused on issues such as security, trade and technology.
Trump took the rare step of meeting the Chinese leader in person at Joint Base Andrews in the state of Maryland on Wednesday, the first US president to do so in recent memory.
The president and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on the tarmac during a welcoming ceremony, where a red carpet was rolled out and the couples exchanged handshakes.
Despite tense relations that worsened after the Trump administration placed high tariffs on Chinese goods – a move that was met with retaliatory measures from Beijing – Trump has expressed personal affinity for Xi and his desire for strong ties with China.