Already met with a red carpet, Xi Jinping will be treated to a stealth bomber flyover and sparkling wine in Washington on Thursday as President Trump welcomes the Chinese leader for a high-profile summit that's long on symbolism and short on expected breakthroughs, reports the Wall Street Journal. The visit—Xi's first to the capital in more than a decade—features a state dinner, military pageantry, and compliments from Trump about Xi's "fit" appearance, even as the two governments remain at odds over Iran, artificial intelligence, trade, and security in the Indo-Pacific.
As Trump and Xi met in the Rose Garden for a military review ceremony Thursday, an honor guard stood on the roof of the Oval Office—a "highly unusual" sight that shows "the pomp and circumstance surrounding Xi's visit ... has far exceeded the welcome given other visiting heads of state in Trump's second term," reports the BBC. Trump praised "tremendous strides" with Xi and said their decisions on security and technology could shape "decades and decades" ahead. Xi, speaking through a translator, told Trump: "I am ready to work with you to steer the giant ship of China-US relations on a steady course toward the future."
Behind the cordial tone, the US is alarmed by China's military buildup, nuclear expansion, and support for Iran, while Beijing continues to bristle over US arms sales to Taiwan. Though lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have urged Trump to confront Xi, one analyst tells CNN that China's emergence as a tech heavyweight means the US-China relationship "has to be more and more reciprocal." Expectations for concrete deals are muted: both sides have agreed to extend a trade-war truce by two months, and Xi has announced China will welcome 100,000 US students for study exchange programs over the next five years.
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