Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping looked “strong, vibrant, and fit” in a Truth Social post Thursday, less than 24 hours into Xi’s three-day U.S. state visit. Trump also called Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan, “beautiful.”
Trump greeted Xi on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The article describes the welcome as a break with decades of tradition, saying it was the first time since 1962 that a president had left the White House to greet a state leader there. Melania Trump told Fox News her husband chose the airport greeting because they had a “great relationship.”
Before the visit, Xi called for the countries to be “partners rather than rivals” and said China’s goals could coexist with Trump’s effort to “make America great again.” U.S.-China relations expert David Firestein said Trump was seeking a broader trade package, including lower Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods, increased rare-earth shipments and greater Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products.
