WASHINGTON — Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the White House on Thursday for a state visit that included talks with President Donald Trump, an elaborate military review and an evening state dinner.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to the White House before the two leaders met for discussions focused on the U.S.-China relationship. Among the issues surrounding the talks were trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war in Iran.
The visit featured an unusual military review in the Rose Garden, where Trump and Xi, joined by their wives, watched military performances and a flyover by a B-2 bomber accompanied by four F-22 fighter jets.
Military reviews for visiting heads of state are typically held on the South Lawn. Thursday’s ceremony was instead staged in the Rose Garden, a change that came after months of construction on the South Lawn for a new presidential helicopter landing pad and the installation of new grass.
Following their meeting, Trump took Xi onto the South Lawn to show him the newly completed helipad and Marine One. The two leaders briefly boarded the presidential helicopter before Xi departed the White House. He returned Thursday evening for a state dinner.
The visit was Xi’s first state visit to the United States since 2015 and came amid continuing tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade, technology and security.
