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Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon local time for a state visit to the United States at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were greeted by Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, at the airport in a rare planeside welcome.
American children presented flowers to Xi and Peng. The honor guards lined up on both sides of the red carpet to pay their respects. The welcome ceremony also included a 21-gun salute, the playing of the national anthems of both countries and a military flyover.
In a written speech, Xi extended sincere greetings and best wishes to the U.S. people on behalf of the Chinese people, according to the Chinese Xinhua news agency.
The trip is Xi's first visit to Washington since 2015.
China and the United States are both great countries, and the two peoples are both great peoples, Xi said in the speech, adding that the two peoples have maintained friendly exchanges for a long time and their interests are deeply intertwined.
China and the United States should be partners, not rivals, he said, noting that the "great rejuvenation" of the Chinese nation and "making America great again" can go hand in hand, and that the two countries can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.
Xi noted that he and Trump agreed to build a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability during Trump's visit to China in May, which has provided strategic guidance for the future development of bilateral ties.
China and the United States should work in the same direction, promote a stable relationship featuring cooperation as the mainstay, moderate competition, manageable differences, and promises of peace, Xi said.
He said China and the United States, as two major countries, should find a right way to get along in the new era.
Xi emphasized that the world is developing and times are changing, but the historical logic of peaceful coexistence between China and the United States has not changed, the goodwill of friendly exchanges between the two peoples has not changed, and the general expectations of the international community for China and the United States have not changed.
Xi said he looks forward to having in-depth exchanges with Trump on major issues concerning bilateral relations and the world situation, constantly enriching the connotation of the constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability, and expanding the space for exchanges and cooperation in various fields between the two countries.
Xi said he also looks forward to engaging extensively with people from all walks of life in the United States to deepen friendship.
With joint efforts, Xi said he believes the visit is sure to be fruitful, and will enhance the well-being of the two peoples and add hope for world peace.
On Xi's way from the airport to his hotel by car, representatives of overseas Chinese and students gathered on both sides of the road, waving the national flags of China and the United States to warmly welcome his visit.
At the state dinner scheduled for September 24, the heads of the two countries’ largest companies are expected to attend, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, according to CNN.