China’s President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for state visit

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This was the first time since 1962 that a US president has personally welcomed a foreign leader at the base, signalling the importance that the Trump administration has placed on the visit, which ends on Friday.

In 1962, then-president John F Kennedy greeted British prime minister Harold Macmillan.

Mr Xi is accompanied on the visit by Cai Qi, a member of the party’s Politburo standing committee, vice-premier He Lifeng, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as other delegates and ambassadors from Beijing.

The visit comes as top officials from both countries agreed to extend a trade truce until January.

Trade has been one of the biggest flashpoints between the two nations, along with artificial intelligence, the US’s illegal and unprovoked war against Iran, and Washington’s interference in China’s domestic affairs in Taiwan.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the extension of the trade truce, under which the countries agreed to scale back tariffs and refrain from imposing new trade restrictions, during a Fox News interview.

“I don’t know whether a bigger deal can be done. I don’t know whether we will just roll the current deal,” Mr Bessent said in the interview, noting the extension to January 10 could give the leaders more time to talk about the issues at future international summits in China in November and Florida in December.

In a statement marking his arrival in the US, Mr Xi said his country and the US “were both great nations and their people are great people. They should be partners, not rivals.

“Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand and the two countries can contribute to each other’s success, thereby benefiting the wider world.”

After Mr Trump’s visit to China earlier this year, Mr Wang said in July that both countries must build “a constructive bilateral relationship of strategic stability.”

Mr Wang added that the US and China “should extend the co-operation list, create more positive agendas, and at the same time narrow the list of problems and manage various risks and hidden dangers.”

Taiwan, Mr Wang said, is key to the relationship as he urged the US to handle the matter “with extra prudence.”