U.S. and China extend trade truce by two months as Xi met by Trump for start of visit

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump treated Chinese President Xi Jinping to a rare personal airport welcome Wednesday, kicking off a pomp-filled state visit aimed at smoothing superpower tensions on everything from AI and trade to Iran.

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The summit is expected to be more about spectacle than substance — but there was an early breakthrough when Washington announced a two-month extension of a trade truce with Beijing that was due to expire in November.

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After officials literally rolled out the red carpet, Trump and First Lady Melania shook hands with Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan once the Chinese president descended from his plane at Joint Base Andrews, a U.S. military airfield outside Washington.

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Trump, wearing a long coat and gloves, and Xi then stood side by side on the tarmac as a military band played national anthems.

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A noisy flyover by two B-1 bombers clearly jolted the 80-year-old Trump, who grimaced at the roar of jets, while his Chinese guest stood by impassively.

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Trump brushed off the fact that Xi had not given him a similar airport welcome when he visited Beijing in May.

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“I thought it was a great little meeting, a great greeting, and I think they appreciate it,” Trump told reporters at the White House after welcoming Xi.

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The lavish visit — the third between Xi and Trump since the U.S. leader returned to power — will include a formal welcome and another flyover, talks in the Oval Office and a state banquet at the White House on Thursday.

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It will wrap up on Friday morning when the two presidential couples have tea at the White House and then visit the National Archives, home to the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

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Expectations of any breakthroughs are low. Analysts say the main aim of the pageantry is to maintain a fragile calm between the superpower rivals.

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The Iran war will be on the agenda, Trump confirmed Wednesday, despite having earlier played down reports that Beijing was supplying Tehran with intelligence as the conflict drags on.

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“I’ll be talking about that and many other subjects — but it’s all coming along well, including that,” Trump said when an AFP reporter asked if he would bring up Iran.

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On the simmering trade war sparked by Trump’s sweeping tariffs last year, U.S. Treasury Scott Bessent announced Wednesday after intensive pre-summit talks that there had been an extension of a truce.

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The “economic detente” will now extend beyond its November 10 deadline to January 10, Bessent said.

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But hopes of business deals have been dimmed by the fact that there are no Chinese CEOs in Xi’s delegation, two sources told AFP.

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In contrast, top U.S. tech bosses including the leaders of major AI companies are set to attend Thursday’s banquet.

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AI is set to dominate the summit amid growing fears — boosted by warnings from AI CEOs — that the technology risks wiping out humanity.