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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a masterclass of high-stakes diplomatic hospitality, President Donald Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday by personally rolling out the red carpet and immediately subjecting him to the deafening roar of two strategic B-1 bombers.
Xi and his lovely communist wife, Peng Liyuan, touched down at Joint Base Andrews shortly before 6 p.m. Waiting at the end of a massive 100-foot red carpet were Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, marking a complete departure from normal presidential protocol, which typically involves making foreign leaders travel to the White House like normal tourists.
The welcoming committee featured a 21-person honor cordon, color guards, a military band, and the national anthems of both nations. However, the serene atmosphere was promptly shattered when two nuclear-capable B-1 bombers roared directly overhead just as the American anthem hit its stride.
As Trump stood saluting, the noise level reached a point that caused the Commander-in-Chief to visibly wince and briefly duck his head. Trump then turned to Xi with a grin, appearing to remark on the bone-rattling sound of air superiority.
Xi, trained in the art of communist stoicism, did not visibly react, choosing instead to maintain a complete poker face as multi-million-dollar war machines rattled his eardrums. [Rumor has it he may have needed a change of skivvies.]
Observers noted the extreme contrast between classic diplomatic pageantry and subtle military posturing as the world’s two largest economic powers kicked off their three-day summit. Trump's airport greeting was a stark departure from standard procedure, especially after Trump received a much more subdued welcome from Chinese Vice President Han Zheng upon landing in Beijing back in May.
Melania Trump defended the grand gesture Wednesday morning, explaining that Xi was “coming on our soil” and that the United States should “welcome them with the most respect.”
Sources confirm the lavish greeting comes amidst ongoing tension over trade, tariffs, rare-earth minerals, artificial intelligence, and Taiwan. The two leaders are hoping to protect a fragile trade truce set to expire in November, assuming both nations' hearing recovers from the airport ceremony.
The visit marks Xi's first state visit to the nation's capital in over a decade. The White House plans to follow up the airport flyover with another elaborate ceremony on the South Lawn, formal talks, and a state dinner filled with tech executives eager to explain why they need China to keep manufacturing their hardware.
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