Xi Jinping Arrives in Washington for State Visit, to Receive Planeside Welcome
Chinese President Xi Jinping is arriving in Washington for a state visit, and U.S. President Donald Trump is set to provide a rare planeside welcome at Joint Base Andrews.

Detroit, MI, September 23, 2026 —
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on a state visit, with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled to greet him at Joint Base Andrews. This planned reception marks a rare departure from typical diplomatic protocols, as President Trump intends to provide a welcome directly at the aircraft.
The details surrounding the specifics of the state visit, including its duration, the agenda of meetings, and the full list of participating officials from both the U.S. and Chinese delegations, were not fully detailed in the provided summary. The summary also did not specify the exact date or time of President Xi’s arrival, beyond stating it is occurring.
State visits are typically significant diplomatic events, involving extensive planning and a series of formal engagements between heads of state. The decision by President Trump to offer a planeside welcome suggests an effort to signal a particular tone or level of importance for this particular state visit. Such welcomes are usually reserved for close allies or occasions of exceptional significance.
Further details regarding the objectives of the state visit, the key bilateral issues expected to be discussed, and the anticipated outcomes of the meetings between President Xi and President Trump remain to be elaborated. The public reporting on this event has focused on the arrival protocol.
The specific protocols for the state visit, including the full itinerary and any joint statements or agreements that may be announced, are expected to be made public as the visit progresses. The summary provided focuses solely on the arrival circumstances of the Chinese President.
Story summarized from the original created by Associated Press on www.clickondetroit.com, see more information here.