By Sale Lawal
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon for a state visit to the United States.
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were warmly greeted by U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, at the Joint Base Andrews in a rare airport reception.
The welcome ceremony also included gun salute and the playing of the national anthems of both countries.
Global South Focus reports that this was the first time Trump is receiving a visiting president or head of state at the airport, making Xi’s visit significant and historic.
The visit, which comes more than a decade after Xi’s last state visit to the White House, underscores the importance of China–U.S. relations and the strategic significance attached to high-level engagement between the world’s two largest economies. It is also an opportunity to cement relations. (GSF)