Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon for a state visit to the United States at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, received a rare planeside greeting by Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, upon their arrival. After Xi and Peng descended from their plane, the two presidential couples shook hands and exchanged greetings on the tarmac.
A red carpet was rolled out for the Chinese presidential couple, with honour guards lining up on both sides to pay their respects. Two American children presented bouquets of flowers to Xi and Peng. The welcome ceremony also included a 21- gun salute, the playing of the national anthems of both countries and a military flyover. The gesture is notable even by broader diplomatic standards, as the arrangement has been described by US media as a “rare” and “unusual” departure from protocol, as US presidents typically receive visiting foreign leaders at the White House rather than greet them at the airport. — Xinhua
#TheGlobalNewLightOfMyanmar