President Donald Trump is giving Chinese President Xi Jinping a two-day White House welcome packed with military honors, a state dinner and a final stop at the National Archives. Behind the ceremony, the two leaders face consequential talks about trade, technology and security.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. On Thursday, the president’s schedule begins with executive time before the couples meet again at the White House, according to The Daily Wire’s reported itinerary.
Thursday: A military welcome and state dinner
Trump and Melania are scheduled to welcome Xi and Peng at the South Portico at 10 a.m. The state arrival ceremony begins roughly 10 minutes later, with remarks by both presidents expected around 10:15 a.m., The Daily Wire reported.
The White House says 479 service members from every branch will take part. The program includes the two national anthems, a presidential salute, the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon and a military review. A B-2 Spirit bomber and four F-22 Raptors are slated to fly over the ceremony.
The display follows the welcome Xi gave Trump during the American president’s visit to Beijing in May. At a state banquet there, Trump thanked Xi for a “magnificent welcome” and formally invited him to the White House on September 24. “It’s a very special relationship,” Trump said in the official transcript of his remarks.
Xi struck a cooperative note at that same May banquet, saying China’s development and “making America great again can go hand in hand.” He added that the two countries “should be partners rather than rivals,” according to the transcript. Those remarks came months before this week’s visit; the leaders are scheduled to speak again at Thursday’s ceremony.
While Trump and Xi carry out their White House agenda, Melania and Peng are scheduled to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. The couples will reunite Thursday evening for a state dinner in the East Room, with Xi and Peng expected at about 6:45 p.m., according to The Daily Wire.
Melania oversaw the dinner preparations. The Office of the First Lady says guests will be served yellow squash velouté, sesame-crusted sea bass and a dessert featuring White House honey ice cream. A toast with American sparkling wine will recall President Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China. Tenor Christopher Macchio and military musicians are slated to perform, with red flowers and linens incorporated into the décor.
Friday: Tea and a farewell at the Archives
The final day has a quieter schedule. Trump and Melania will host Xi and Peng for tea in the White House Red Room on Friday morning, the White House said. The couples will then visit the National Archives to view records tied to the history of the U.S.-China relationship. Trump and Melania are scheduled to say goodbye there before the Chinese delegation departs from Joint Base Andrews.
The honors come amid unresolved questions between Washington and Beijing. The White House said after the leaders’ May talks that they had agreed to pursue a relationship built on “fairness and reciprocity” and announced trade and investment forums. China’s account of those talks also identified Taiwan as a central point of disagreement. Thursday’s talks will test how far the two presidents can turn the elaborate welcome into progress on those issues.
