United States President Donald Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, received Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday local time to kick off the leader's three-day state visit to the nation.

The American leader and First Lady Melania Trump arrived personally at the air base just outside Washington to greet President Xi Jinping and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan as part of the official state visit protocols.

This high-profile visit marks the second summit between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump in less than six months.

The official bilateral discussions between the two leaders are expected to cover critical areas such as trade, technology, strategic mineral resources, and the overall trajectory of US-China relations.

Notably, the existing tariff truce between the US and China, which was agreed upon during the Busan summit last October, is set to expire in November.

Official sources confirmed that the future of this tariff truce and current export licences for microchips will be evaluated, although no predetermined conclusions have been reached.

Washington administration officials ruled out trading away its stringent export controls on rare earth flows in exchange for economic concessions.

However, officials did confirm that negotiations are underway regarding potential tariff reductions on a select group of non-strategic commercial items that could offer mutual benefits to both economies.

Artificial intelligence technology is slated to be a major centrepiece of the talks, building upon preliminary concepts that are yet to be formally ratified. These potential arrangements include mutual previews of upcoming AI models between both nations, as well as extending regulatory oversight over Chinese open-source systems.

Senior US officials declined to elaborate on a firm, detailed negotiating position ahead of the crucial summit between the two heads of state.

On other sensitive issues, Washington continues to push Beijing regarding the illicit flow of precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl by Mexican drug cartels.

President Trump is also expected to adhere to past diplomatic precedents by raising the sensitive matter of American citizens currently detained in Chinese prisons.

The elaborate visit, outlined by senior American officials during a background briefing, follows President Trump's own diplomatic journey to Beijing in May.

During that visit, President Xi hosted the US President at the Great Hall of the People, where both leaders pledged to foster a constructive, strategic, and stable bilateral relationship.

President Trump is now reciprocating that hospitality with full state-visit honours, including a formal military reception with an Air Force band, national anthems, artillery salutes, and a flyover by American strategic aircraft.

Diplomatic observers noted that the decision by the US President to personally welcome his counterpart on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews—a rare gesture last accorded to a foreign leader in 1962—underscores the strategic importance placed on maintaining stability between the world's two largest economies.

ANI