Trump prepares 'highest state honors' for Xi—personally welcoming him at airport, B-2 flyover

[Financial News]  U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing an unprecedented, highest-level state welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will visit the White House for the first time in 11 years. Trump will personally go to the airport to greet Xi and closely oversee the entire program, including the official welcome ceremony at the White House and a state dinner. Melania Trump, who has maintained a low public profile, will also attend all the events to welcome Peng Liyuan.
According to the White House on the 21st, local time, Donald Trump and Melania Trump will visit Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., on the afternoon of the 23rd to personally welcome Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan. It is highly unusual for a U.S. president to go to the airport himself to greet a visiting foreign leader.
On the morning of the 24th, the day of the summit, an official state welcome ceremony will be held at the White House with the two leaders and their wives in attendance. The U.S. military honor guard will stand in formation, followed by a welcoming fanfare from the Army trumpet honor guard, while the Marine Corps Band will perform the national anthems of both countries. After welcoming remarks by Trump and a response from Xi, Army and Marine bands will take part in a military review in the White House Rose Garden.
The U.S. military's elite airpower will also be deployed for the welcome ceremony. One B-2 Spirit strategic bomber and four F-22 Raptor stealth fighters are scheduled to conduct a celebratory flyover over the White House. Trump previously deployed F-35s during the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MbS) last November. He also fully mobilized B-2 bombers, F-22s, and F-35s during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, last August, showcasing the overwhelming power of the U.S. military.
After the welcome ceremony, the two leaders will begin negotiations on key trade and security issues in the presence of senior cabinet officials from both countries. At the same time, Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan will tour the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art together and spend time engaging with each other.
That evening, the White House banquet hall will host a state dinner attended by prominent political and business figures from both countries. The dinner menu is expected to feature dishes symbolizing friendship between the two nations. On the morning of the 25th, the final day of the visit, the two leaders and their wives will have tea at the White House before traveling to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, D.C., where they plan to view records documenting the history of U.S.-China relations together, the White House said.
[email protected] Yoon Jae-jun Reporter