President Donald Trump warmly welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 23, marking their first meeting in four months.
According to Yonhap News, Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, personally greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Andrews Joint Base near Washington, D.C.
The White House press pool reported that Trump departed the White House aboard the Marine One helicopter at 4:43 p.m. Eastern Time.
Marine One landed at Andrews Base at 4:54 p.m., where Trump then boarded a limousine to await Xi's arrival.
Xi's Air China plane touched down at Andrews at 5:39 p.m. After the aircraft taxied to a stop, a red carpet was rolled out, and a 21-member U.S. military honor guard was assembled. Xi exited the plane at 6:01 p.m.
Trump and Melania waited over an hour at the airport to welcome Xi. They moved to the foot of the stairs leading to Xi's plane to greet the Chinese leaders.
Both leaders exchanged smiles and handshakes. As Xi and Peng received bouquets from flower girls and greeted officials from both countries, they continued to engage in friendly conversation while walking down the red carpet.
Trump and Xi paused on the red carpet as the U.S. Air Force band played the national anthems of both countries. After the performance, Trump displayed his customary physical affection by patting Xi on the shoulder and back.
During the anthem performance, a salute was fired, and two U.S. B-1 bombers flew overhead. Throughout the welcome ceremony, Melania and Peng also engaged in friendly conversation behind the two leaders.
This marks the first time Trump has personally welcomed a foreign leader at Andrews Base since taking office for his second term, demonstrating the high level of respect afforded to Xi.
The welcome ceremony lasted approximately 10 minutes, after which both leaders departed in their respective vehicles.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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