Trump Personally Welcomed Xi Jinping With A Red Carpet At A Military Airfield

This is an unusual diplomatic gesture.

U.S. President Donald Trump personally welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews, rolling out the red carpet for him. This is an unusual diplomatic gesture—foreign leaders are typically received at the White House.

This was reported by Axios.

Trump, along with First Lady Melania, greeted Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the aircraft steps when he landed at a military base near Washington around 6 p.m. The military rolled out a full-fledged red carpet for the Chinese leader, and six F-16 and six F-22 fighter jets were lined up on the runway to demonstrate U.S. military might.

The last U.S. president to personally welcome a foreign leader at this very base was in 1962, when John F. Kennedy received British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. In recent decades, several popes have also been welcomed at the airfield—in particular, George W. Bush met with Benedict XVI in 2008, and Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis in 2015.

By way of comparison: in February 2025, Trump welcomed Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the entrance to the West Wing of the White House, and King Charles III of the United Kingdom at the South Portico of the residence in April of this year. Xi Jinping, for his part, did not arrange a similar airport reception for Trump during his visit to Beijing in May.

“President Xi hosted President Trump in China at a historic summit this summer, and President Trump is returning the favor by welcoming the Chinese delegation on a reciprocal visit this week,” said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly.

Xi Jinping’s last state visit to the U.S. took place back in September 2015 during the Obama administration.

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