Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife were greeted with fanfare and a screaming flyover that visibly shook President Donald Trump.
During the grand arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, President Donald Trump visibly winced as a military flyover of supersonic B-1 bombers roared loudly overhead, a stark contrast to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who remained entirely stone-faced.
Rows of US soldiers stood at attention as F-35 fighter jets and Air Force One loomed behind them at Joint Base Andrews (JBA), home of the president’s fleet, to welcome Xi and his wife, Madame Peng.
A military band played as US officials rushed to roll a red carpet up to the Chinese president’s massive Air China jumbo jet.
Critics and political observers quickly pointed out the irony of the lavish display.
The last time it was done was in 2015, when Barack Obama greeted Pope Francis at JBA.
And Tump famously mocked Obama for showering Xi with a ‘full honors ceremony with music and cannons’ during a visit in 2012.
‘So wrong,’ he chided on X.
On the tarmac at the Air Force base, a flyover roared overhead to mark the Chinese president’s arrival. Trump notably winced and cracked a brief smile at the thunderous roar while Xi remained stone-faced.
The ceremony mirrored the welcome Trump received on his trip to Beijing in May, which also had a lavish carpet and troops standing at attention.
The presidential limo, known as the Beast, pulled up with the president and First Lady who then met Xi and his wife at the plane, where the pair exchanged remarks for several minutes.
