Live: President Trump Holds Welcome Ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House
A video broadcast of the entire welcoming ceremony held by Trump at the White House for Xi Jinping's state visit, covering Xi's arrival at Joint Base Andrews, the White House red carpet reception, military music and honor guard review, fighter jet flyovers, and speeches by both heads of state. It also covers US-China summit topics including trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, Iran, fentanyl, and security, alongside arrangements for the state banquet, gift exchanges, and a visit to the National Archives.
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Welcome to Voice of America Mandarin Service's special program on the US-China summit, broadcast at 9:30 AM Eastern Time on September 24, 2026. I am Fan Dongning, broadcasting live from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. President Trump is scheduled to host a welcoming ceremony at the White House this morning at 10:00 AM alongside First Lady Melania for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. Today's VOA special program will take you through every moment of this high-level White House welcoming ceremony, including grand military honors, fighter jet flyovers, live reports from our correspondents at the White House, and interviews with experts by VOA to provide an in-depth interpretation of the Trump administration's key strategic considerations surrounding this US-China summit.
First, we take you back to Wednesday evening—yesterday evening—when President Trump personally traveled to Joint Base Andrews in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., to welcome visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping for a three-day state visit. After Xi's special plane arrived at approximately 5:30 PM, President Trump and First Lady Melania personally stepped to the bottom of the aircraft steps to welcome Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, holding a grand welcoming ceremony. This marks the first time in 11 years that a US president has welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews. Below, let's watch the VOA television report.
US President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews in the suburbs of Washington for a three-day visit. Xi's special plane arrived in the evening at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, which is also the home base for the US presidential aircraft, Air Force One. This is the first time in 11 years, since President Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis in 2015, that a US president has personally welcomed a visiting dignitary at Joint Base Andrews. President Trump and his wife arrived at the joint base from the White House via Marine One and then took a motorcade, arriving at Xi's aircraft at around 6:00 PM. Accompanied by a military band, President Trump and Melania personally greeted Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at the foot of the aircraft stairs.
The welcoming ceremony began after pleasantries were exchanged between the two sides. It started with a 21-gun salute and the playing of both national anthems. As the US national anthem came to a close, US military aircraft flew overhead in tribute. Following the welcoming ceremony, President Trump saw Xi and his wife off as they boarded their vehicle to leave, and then he and First Lady Melania departed in their own vehicle, taking a helicopter back to the White House. Following this grand welcoming ceremony and diplomatic courtesy, the leaders of the US and China will hold a closely watched summit meeting on Thursday, where trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and regional security are expected to be key topics of discussion. Voice of America, reporting from Washington.
Today, Thursday, September 24, President Trump will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House with high-level state visit honors. At precisely 10:00 AM, President Trump and his wife will hold a grand welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn, attended by 479 US military service members, featuring military music, an honor guard, a military review, and a flight demonstration by B-2 bombers and F-22 fighters. Afterward, the two heads of state will hold bilateral and expanded bilateral meetings, focusing on US-China relations and major issues of mutual concern. Tonight, President Trump will also host a state banquet at the White House to welcome Xi and his wife. The office of White House First Lady Melania stated that this is Xi's first visit to the White House in more than a decade, making it of significant symbolic importance.
Continuing with Voice of America's television coverage. President Trump and the First Lady will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the South Lawn of the White House at 10 a.m. this morning, followed by a grand welcoming ceremony. At that time, 479 U.S. military officers and soldiers will participate, including military music, an honor guard, and a military review, concluding with a flypast by a B-2 bomber and four F-22 fighter jets. Both sides will certainly exchange gifts. After the welcoming ceremony, First Lady Melania will accompany Peng Liyuan to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art located in Washington, D.C. At 11:30 a.m., the two leaders will begin bilateral talks; the two sides are scheduled to start expanded bilateral talks at 12 p.m. At 6:45 p.m., President Trump and the First Lady will welcome Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan to a state dinner, where the two leaders are expected to deliver remarks, and the state dinner is scheduled to conclude around 9 p.m.
On Friday, the heads of state and their spouses will have tea in the Red Room of the White House and jointly visit the National Archives to view historical documents related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and U.S.-China relations. Afterwards, Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, will set off to return to China. The White House Office of the First Lady emphasized that Xi's last visit to the White House was more than a decade ago, and this visit marks an important milestone in bilateral relations. Voice of America, reporting from Washington.
In addition to the grand welcoming ceremony, the issues to be discussed at the U.S.-China summit have naturally attracted high global attention. Below, continuing from the remarks made by senior U.S. officials before the summit, we provide an in-depth interpretation of the Trump administration's strategic considerations surrounding this U.S.-China summit. We turn to a report by U.S. economic reporter Fang Yuhe.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is about to visit the United States, and President Trump expressed his anticipation for the visit of him and his wife, Peng Liyuan. He said that although the U.S. and China are in a competitive relationship, his personal relationship with Xi is very good. We are very much looking forward to it. He is an exceptionally fine gentleman, and we get along very well. We have a good trade relationship. They are competitors, and although China has been taking advantage of us for many years, we are interacting with China very well right now. President Trump stated that a state dinner will be hosted for Xi, and White House officials said that President Trump will personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews and hold a welcoming ceremony.
On trade, the Trump administration briefly raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% this year, after which the U.S. and China temporarily lowered tariffs to maintain a trade truce. As Xi's visit approaches, President Trump stated that important talks will be held in this regard. We will have some pretty important talks. You know, China is paying us a lot of tariffs. As you remember, we raised tariffs to 145% at one point, but that was too high, and it really hit them hard. I didn't want to do that, and we get along very well.
Trump stated on September 13 that Chinese cars will continue to be kept out. He said: I am the one who kept them out, tariffs are what keep them out. So unlike Europe, which is being hit hard by Chinese cars, we have zero imports here. Therefore, so far, the answer is yes, keep them out.
In May of this year, after visiting China and meeting with Xi Jinping, President Trump announced that China agreed to purchase 200 Boeing aircraft, and the total number of future orders may increase to 750. When asked about the progress of the deal on the 13th, Trump stated that the deal would be finalized. He said: Every deal I can get done.
Regarding the situation in Iran, U.S. media recently cited official reports that Chinese entities may have provided Iran with satellite imagery of U.S. military bases in Jordan. When asked about this, President Trump did not criticize China. He said: I think he has behaved reasonably well, and we have behaved reasonably well. You know, when people say China is spying on us, I would say you're right, but we are also spying on them. You know, we are monitoring them just as well.
Regarding competition in artificial intelligence, President Trump stated on September 4 that the United States is leading China in the field of artificial intelligence. He said: We are keeping a close eye on this. We are leading China in the AI field. Whoever wins in the AI field will be the winner. And right now, this is basically a competition between us and China.
Regarding AI competition and establishing guardrails, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated on September 14 that he hopes to ensure sensible regulation, but must also ensure that the United States maintains its leading position. He said: This is a concern of ours, but we want to ensure sensible regulation and thoughtfully consider the risks involved. Another thing the President has consistently emphasized is that we know China is engaged in this long-term AI race with the United States. We want to ensure that the United States handles missteps wisely and continues to maintain its lead.
From trade and the situation in Iran to artificial intelligence, these three items constitute the three major strategic flashpoints of this U.S.-China summit. Whether both sides can reach a consensus on these matters will be the focus of outside attention this time. Voice of America reporter Wang Yuhe, reporting from Washington.
Now the time is approximately 9:39 a.m. on Thursday, September 24. At 10 a.m. today, the welcoming ceremony hosted by the White House for Xi Jinping is scheduled to take place. Currently, we can cut to the live footage to take a look. After arriving at Joint Base Andrews yesterday, President Xi Jinping checked in at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in the U.S. capital of Washington. Since yesterday, there have been many crowds around the hotel, certainly including crowds welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping, but there are also some protesters.
What we are currently seeing on the screen is a crowd holding banners, which should be some overseas Chinese and masses welcoming Chairman Xi on his visit to the United States. Of course, around the Waldorf Astoria, the hotel where Chinese President Xi Jinping is staying, security measures are extremely strict. The National Guard, as well as a large number of police and Secret Service personnel, have been deployed to protect the safety of the foreign head of state and the White House welcome ceremony to be held this morning. Therefore, around the White House today, in addition to the protesting and welcoming crowds, there are also a large number of security personnel, police, and National Guard members maintaining security and order. This is the live footage I am currently seeing.
Of course, Voice of America's White House correspondent Huang Yaoyi has also arrived ahead of time at the site of the upcoming White House welcome ceremony, namely the White House North Lawn, to do a live cross with us. We will now immediately connect with VOA White House correspondent Huang Yaoyi. Yaoyi, please brief us on the latest information you have gathered at the scene.
Yes, Dongning. President Trump's schedule this morning is packed. Starting at 8:00 AM, he first held a meeting with his officials to prepare for the day's events. At 10:00 AM, as you just mentioned, a grand welcome ceremony will be held on the White House South Lawn to welcome Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan to the White House. As we know, the welcome ceremony for a state visit already took place yesterday when receiving them at Joint Base Andrews. Next, the two leaders will deliver speeches, exchange gifts, and then watch the rifle drill performance of the US military honor guard.
At 11:00 AM, they will go together to the White House Rose Garden to review the troops. Afterward, they will head directly into the Oval Office adjacent to the Rose Garden to hold their bilateral meeting. Following the bilateral meeting, they will move to the Cabinet Room, the larger Cabinet room, allowing cabinet officials from both sides to join together and hold an expanded bilateral meeting. While the meeting is underway, First Lady Melania will lead Peng Liyuan to visit the National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian. After that, Xi Jinping and his wife will leave the White House. In the afternoon, President Trump will not rest either; he will continue to meet and negotiate with his officials regarding the outcome of the morning meeting, while also preparing for the state banquet to be held in the evening.
Alright. So as Yaoyi just mentioned, according to news released by the White House this morning, President Trump is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping in the Oval Office at 11:30 AM, and at 12:00 PM noon, the two sides will hold a further expanded bilateral meeting in the White House Cabinet Room. Did President Trump mention which issues of mutual concern to both the US and China he will bring up in this important US-China summit bilateral meeting?
Yes. Yesterday, after welcoming them at Joint Base Andrews and returning to the White House, President Trump accepted questions from the media and mentioned the issues of Iran and fentanyl. Regarding the Iran issue, when the media asked him if he would talk to Xi about Iran, he said: "I will bring up that topic and many other issues. Everything is moving forward, including that topic, yes, topics like that."
On the part about fentanyl, President Trump has repeatedly emphasized that fentanyl precursors coming from China are a hazard to the health of the American people. Previously, Trump's White House counterterrorism advisor Golta even used the term "new Opium War" to describe China's fentanyl. However, when asked yesterday whether he agrees with the counterterrorism advisor's assertion that fentanyl is warfare conducted by other means, President Trump stated that the situation is very bad, but China has already been subjected to tariff sanctions and has also been punished very severely.
Early this morning, President Trump posted on his Truth Social again, saying that today will be a very big day with Xi Jinping, and they will be talking about super intelligence, which will be a major topic of discussion between the two. As we know, President Trump previously renamed what is known as artificial intelligence AI to super intelligence SI. He said that in this regard, his stance is consistent with China's, which is not to regulate super intelligence and to let it stay the way it is. The only guardrail to be established is the Department of Justice.
So this might be slightly different from some external speculations. President Trump does not seem to think that guardrails should be established immediately, and he believes his position is consistent with that of the Chinese side. Regarding super intelligence, the sole guardrail is the Department of Justice, and everything else is to let it develop freely.
However, has President Trump made any special remarks over the past two days regarding what issues will be discussed at this Xi-Trump meeting and US-China summit?
Alright, Yaoyi. Of course, in addition to the welcome ceremony held at the White House this morning, as you just mentioned, Melania will take Peng Liyuan to visit the Museum of Asian Art later. But in the evening, the White House will continue to welcome Xi Jinping and his wife by hosting a banquet, namely the state banquet. At around 6:45 PM, according to White House reports, President Trump and First Lady Melania will greet Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan at the White House once again, followed by the state banquet. As you just mentioned earlier, AI—meaning super intelligence and artificial intelligence—will be one of the important topics discussed by both sides. President Trump also stated earlier that tonight's banquet will be attended by many people, with thousands wanting to attend, though it might not be possible to accommodate that many. Could you give us an outlook on what is worth anticipating at the state banquet the White House is holding for Xi Jinping and his wife tonight? President Trump will also deliver a speech; what can we expect?
Yes, tonight before the state dinner takes place, President Trump will welcome guests right here at the North Portico of the White House behind me. Tonight, I will also be bringing you the most timely live reports from the North Portico. President Trump also told the media yesterday after meeting his flight that this state dinner is truly packed to capacity, and everyone wants to come. He regretfully said that the new state dining hall he wanted to build could not be completed in time. He had previously made an analogy that China has the Great Hall of the People, and we in the United States should also have our own Great Hall at the White House. He felt very regretful that he couldn't build the new banquet hall in time before Xi Jinping's arrival to host the state dinner for him.
The Office of the First Lady just released some details of tonight's state dinner this morning. In terms of performance programs, the first item is to invite a tenor to sing. Of course, this inevitably reminds people whether Peng Liyuan herself, who studied art and music, might improvise a duet with the tenor? We might just see that at the state dinner tonight. In addition, throughout the state dinner, the background music played in the evening will be performed by the President's own band, which is the United States Marine Band.
The menu for this state dinner has also been published. The Office of the First Lady stated that this menu is primarily based on American ingredients, but incorporates delicate Chinese flavors, combining the culinary traditions of both countries. The first course includes a wine commemorating the historic peaceful toast between President Richard Nixon and Zhou Enlai in Beijing in 1972, called Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine, which also looks back at the history of China and the United States back then.
In this menu, we see pumpkin soup, wild mushroom stew, pancetta, and so on. The second course features crispy sea bass, roasted eggplant, bok choy, and green sauce. They all look very healthy, seemingly without the steak that President Trump loves to eat, perhaps this time the arrangement is oriented towards health. As for desserts, there is something quite special: vanilla cream served with White House honey ice cream. As we know, during the terms of previous White House presidents, including Biden and Obama, there were their own beehives in the White House garden, containing honey produced by the White House, which is served to entertain guests during state dinners. Therefore, in the dessert section, there is specially the option of pairing White House honey with ice cream.
Alright. We are very grateful to Yaoyi for introducing us to the menu for hosting Xi Jinping and his wife at the White House state dinner obtained exclusively tonight, which looks very sumptuous. It is worth noting, as Yaoyi just mentioned earlier, these details regarding tonight's state dinner hosted by the White House for Xi Jinping and his wife were also released by the Office of First Lady Melania. I know, Yaoyi, you interviewed some experts on the role of the First Lady earlier today. In fact, during the US-China summit held in Beijing this May, because President Trump did not bring the First Lady, there was no First Lady interaction at that time. Please talk to us more about the role the First Lady has historically played in this US-China summit, whether it's the welcome ceremony held at the White House or the state dinner in the evening, in this kind of US-China head-of-state diplomacy, and please introduce it to us, Yaoyi.
Yes, I previously interviewed Anita McBride, Director of the Office of the First Lady to President George W. Bush. She told me that, in fact, from the wife of the first president George Washington to the wife of current President Trump, every single one has exercised their role as First Lady in diplomacy. Sometimes, the soft role of the First Lady herself is able to reach places that the president himself cannot reach. For example, she also mentioned at the time that for overseas disaster relief or humanitarian aid, rather than having the president send troops to carry out disaster relief, it is better for the First Lady to carry relief supplies there, which instead makes the local people or local politicians feel more receptive. Therefore, regarding the First Lady, there is indeed such a special role.
Of course, hosting state dinners or receiving foreign guests is also a very important role for the US First Lady. We know that Melania already has a lot of experience receiving guests from the past during President Trump's first term. So in this state dinner, she is naturally familiar with it. Last week, she actually released a video introducing how she is currently preparing for such a state dinner, and I believe everyone is looking forward to it.
Of course, the more challenging part this time is that President Trump's state dining hall has not been built yet, so now the East Room has to be redecorated to allow it to accommodate the guests he wants. This time, many entrepreneurs from both the US and China want to attend, including US figures like Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Tim Cook of Apple, OpenAI executives, and others who will all come. Entrepreneurs from the Chinese side are also coming. It was previously reported that the Chinese side hoped to have at least half of the seats because they wanted to bring many entrepreneurs along. But the US side believes that due to heavy capacity limits, it might not be possible to let all of your people come. So which private citizens and business figures from both China and the US will be able to attend the state dinner tonight will also be the focus of everyone's attention.
Yes, because this morning's special program broadcast by Voice of America focused on the welcome ceremony at the White House. In the evening, we have another special program to discuss the state dinner hosted by the White House for Xi Jinping and his wife. At that time, we will also continue to introduce and review at the state dinner scene which political and business figures from both the US and China, including AI giants, will appear at the evening banquet, which is indeed the focus of everyone's attention right now.
Certainly, Yaoyi just mentioned the role of the First Lady. As we know, as Xiao Xiaoqing introduced earlier, at around 11:30, Melania will visit the Asian Division of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., along with Peng Liyuan. In fact, in the past when US-China summit meetings were held, there were always related cultural and entertainment activities, such as the Zhongnanhai tea chat last May, and earlier in 2017, the visit to the Forbidden City in Beijing.
This time, I saw the schedule released by the White House, and of course you also have the details, that on Friday morning there will also be a very special event where President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will go to attend an event at the US National Archives. We know that Yaoyi has already gone ahead to the US National Archives to take a look. Will they be reviewing some important documents at that time, historical documents related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States or US-China relations, let us take a sneak peek. So please also share with us at the end, Yaoyi, when you went to cover the National Archives at that time, what do you think are some highlights worth paying attention to on Friday? Yaoyi.
Yes, President Trump actually said that at the National Archives, what he hopes to be able to show Xi Jinping are some historical documents and cultural relics from the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The press release issued by the First Lady's office stated that elements including the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and China will also be specially added. So we expect that in the main hall of the National Archives, the original manuscript of the Declaration of Independence from back then is there, written on parchment. Now its ink has faded quite a bit and it is not very clear, but its original text is right there. There is also the US Constitution. I believe this is the so-called 250th anniversary of the founding of the country, which can showcase major historical relics of the United States to Xi Jinping.
There are also more cultural relics including the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and China, including diplomatic cables that may have been from the State Department back then, including some speeches by Kissinger back then, and some suggestions he gave to the President, etc., which are available in the database of the National Archives. If the general public wants to see them, they have to make an appointment to borrow them, but of course President Trump and the First Lady will directly show these to Xi Jinping, to review the relationship between the two countries over so many years after the US and China established diplomatic relations.
We of course also know that President Trump should also emphasize what his relationship with Xi Jinping is like. Especially since First Lady Melania just said yesterday that President Trump's decision to personally greet him and pick him up at the airport was a decision he made himself, because he believes his relationship with Xi Jinping is very good and smart.
Okay, thank you very much to Voice of America reporter Huang Yaoyi for the live report from the White House. The welcome ceremony held at the White House today, according to information released in advance by the White House, is now about 5 minutes away from the official start time of 10 o'clock. Currently around the White House, we have already seen a lot of preparatory work. What we are seeing now is the South Portico in front of the South Lawn, which has been covered with a red carpet, and the honor guard is holding the national flags of the US and China, ready at any time to welcome the arrival of the Chinese President and his wife Peng Liyuan.
Just as Voice of America White House reporter Huang Yaoyi introduced earlier, this welcome ceremony, including the state banquet in the evening, is one where First Lady Melania plays a very important role in organizing and preparing. Now we have already seen the honor guard make preparations. According to information previously announced by the White House, later there will also be a grand military salute, military music, an honor guard, and a flyby of fighter jets. Let's listen to the sounds of the preparations on site.
Okay, we are now in the live broadcast of the Voice of America US-China Summit special program, the time has come to 9:57, about 2 minutes and 40 seconds away from 10:00 sharp for today's important state visit welcome ceremony for Xi Jinping at the White House. Usually such events proceed very punctually. Currently we can see that a large number of security personnel are already prepared on site, and the honor guard has prepared the national flags of the US and China.
We are about a minute and a half away from the official start of the ceremony. On the schedule for the entire welcome ceremony this morning, there is also a very important session. Later we will also follow that at 10:15 in the morning, President Trump and President Xi Jinping will both deliver speeches during the welcome ceremony. At that time, we will live broadcast the speeches of President Trump and Xi Jinping at the White House welcome ceremony throughout.
We are now about 1 minute away from the start of the ceremony, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.
Okay, our time has now reached Thursday, September 24 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. President Trump and First Lady Melania are scheduled to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the South Portico of the White House. Chinese President Xi Jinping is staying at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington this week. In fact, the distance from the White House is not very far, but the motorcade may still be moving now, so we are still eagerly awaiting the arrival of Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.
Okay, we now see that the protocol staff and photographers are making final preparations. The military band is getting ready, and it looks like Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan will arrive very soon. We will now continue to broadcast the preparatory footage from the scene and listen to the sounds on site, as military music may be played at any time to welcome the arrival of the distinguished guests.
Carrie Fletch: Ladies and gentlemen, The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump.
The motorcade of Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived, bringing First Lady Peng Liyuan to the White House to attend the White House welcome ceremony hosted for him by President Trump and First Lady Melania. As we just saw on screen, the two heads of state shook hands upon stepping out of their vehicles, and both first ladies stood alongside them for a group photo. This is live footage just coming in from the White House.
The two heads of state coincidentally chose red-toned ties, while First Lady Melania and Peng Liyuan opted for darker attire to attend today's welcome ceremony held for them at the White House. According to information released earlier by the White House, at 10:00 AM, First Lady Melania, accompanied by President Trump, welcomed Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at the South Portico of the White House.
Shortly after, at 10:10 AM, President Trump and First Lady Melania, along with Xi Jinping and Ms. Peng Liyuan, will jointly participate in the state visit welcome ceremony. Next, another key point of focus will be at 10:15 AM this morning, when President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to deliver remarks. Later today, in Voice of America's special U.S.-China summit program, we will also broadcast the speeches delivered by President Trump and Xi Jinping at the welcome ceremony live in their entirety.
Of course, from this morning until 12:00 PM, the entire two-hour period at the White House involves a series of events prepared by President Trump and First Lady Melania to welcome Xi Jinping's state visit. In addition to the U.S. and Chinese flags and the arrival of the motorcade we just witnessed, as well as the brief greetings between the two heads of state, a large contingent of military personnel will hold a grand military welcome ceremony at the White House today, featuring over 400 U.S. service members participating in a grand military honor guard on-site. Most notably, advanced U.S. warplanes will also conduct a flyover ceremony on-site later, including B-2 bombers and F-22 Raptor advanced fighter jets, all making an appearance.
Additionally, at 10:30 AM, there is another very important segment: a gift exchange between First Lady Melania, Ms. Peng Liyuan, and the two heads of state. However, this portion is closed to media coverage, so the specific gifts exchanged will likely have to wait for a later announcement, allowing the media and the National Archives to learn what gifts were exchanged by the two leaders during today's U.S.-China summit.
Speaking of the grand military arrangements for this morning's welcome ceremony—whether it be the military band, the honor guard, or the military flyover—in fact, yesterday at Joint Base Andrews, we also saw President Trump display a great number of America's most advanced warplanes on the airport runway when welcoming President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan upon their arrival. Therefore, this can be considered President Trump rolling out a high-level reception to welcome Xi Jinping's visit.
The footage we are now viewing is from yesterday evening, Wednesday, September 23, at around 5:00 PM, when Chinese President Xi Jinping's presidential aircraft landed at Joint Base Andrews, located near the capital in Washington. In fact, 11 years ago, President Obama also personally went to the airport to welcome Pope Francis, so this is neither unprecedented nor extremely rare. U.S. presidents personally greeting foreign heads of state at the airport has happened a handful of times; even earlier, over 60 years ago, U.S. President Eisenhower personally went to the airport to welcome Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Thus, one could say the instances of a U.S. president personally greeting guests at the airport are very few.
The footage we are currently seeing shows President Trump and First Lady Melania personally arriving at the red-carpeted airport runway yesterday at Joint Base Andrews, greeting Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan at the aircraft cabin door as they arrived in the United States for a state visit.
Of course, besides the grandeur of the welcome ceremony, Voice of America has actually interviewed several experts to understand why President Trump rolled out such a high-level reception to welcome the Chinese president. Andrew Harding, a research fellow for national security and Indo-Pacific affairs at the Heritage Foundation, told Voice of America that President Trump personally going to greet him, holding a grand military welcome ceremony at the White House, and hosting a state banquet in the evening genuinely gave Xi Jinping immense prestige. However, in reality, both the U.S. and Chinese sides are still exerting all their efforts in a fierce contest over substantive issues. Let's listen to what Andrew Harding had to say in his interview with Voice of America.
Clearly, he wants to be respected, and that is certainly very important. Even looking back 10 years ago, when the United States and China were undoubtedly already competitors, China has now significantly narrowed the gap with the United States across many different fields. Therefore, for Xi Jinping, receiving very high-level treatment during this visit to the United States is extremely important. It demonstrates mutual equality, or even a higher degree of respect, between the two countries.
However, if we look specifically at the possible outcomes of this summit, I think Xi Jinping may pay special attention to the Taiwan issue. This has always been an issue of high importance to the Chinese Communist Party and remains a core issue. In May of this year, the Taiwan issue was defined as the most sensitive issue. If the United States does not handle the Taiwan issue in the manner expected by China, the Chinese side has indicated that military action or even war could occur, which is a very clear red line.
Therefore, if Xi Jinping hopes to see the United States adopt a policy on Taiwan that is more aligned with the Chinese position, I would not be surprised—for example, regarding strategic ambiguity, or hoping the United States raises certain questions about the current ruling authorities in Taiwan. But I believe President Trump and the advisors around him will not fall into such a situation, so I think this may be one of the directions Xi Jinping wishes to push. Yet I will continue to focus on the substantive content of the summit to ensure the United States does not make such changes on these issues.
Andrew Harding, a research fellow on national security and Indo-Pacific affairs at the Heritage Foundation interviewed by Voice of America, told us that an important indicator for observing this U.S.-China summit is not just how grand the reception is, but the substantive content discussed by the two sides during the summit and whether the Chinese side can fulfill its commitments.
Andrew Harding also told Voice of America that there are several important indicators to observe whether this U.S.-China summit is successful. Let us listen to what experts believe are the important indicators for testing this U.S.-China summit.
I believe whether this summit is successful can be measured from two key aspects. First, whether China will implement the commitments reached during the Beijing summit in May of this year, as well as agreements reached earlier, such as at the Busan summit or prior. We know that there have always been some disputes between the U.S. and China, especially regarding whether the Chinese side can effectively fulfill its commitments after signing agreements.
As more information is released ahead of the summit, such as rare earths, Boeing aircraft, and agricultural product procurement, these are areas where both sides have already reached a consensus, but there is still a question of whether China will truly implement these commitments. So I hope the Chinese side will effectively fulfill the previously reached agreements as much as possible. If this is not achieved, what measures will both sides take to get the relevant commitments back on track.
The second standard for measuring the success of the summit is whether the United States can continue to maintain its strategic leverage and advantages while reaching any agreements. In other words, we may see the two sides reach some agreements or hold discussions on issues such as artificial intelligence and trade tariffs, but at the end of the day, the United States should not use strategic tools such as export controls as bargaining chips, nor should it allow China to sway or influence U.S.-Taiwan relations in any form. These are just two examples. Regardless of the agreements ultimately reached by both sides, we need to ensure that the United States can continue to hold the initiative in these areas.
Regarding this U.S.-China presidential summit, Voice of America interviewed many U.S.-China relations experts in think tanks located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Most experts, like Andrew Harding of the Heritage Foundation just now, believe that the important indicator for observing this U.S.-China summit is not how large the welcome scale or protocol is, or how long the red carpet is, but whether the Chinese side can actually fulfill the agreements reached at the summit and fulfill every single commitment.
Of course, in addition to U.S.-China relations experts from U.S. think tanks, Voice of America journalists also interviewed many senators and representatives from both parties in Congress to understand how to observe and test this U.S.-China summit. One of them, Republican U.S. Representative Barratt, told Voice of America journalists that in fact, to test this U.S.-China summit, one should quote the phrase most frequently used by President Reagan against the Soviet Union: "Trust, but verify"; but now, when dealing with the Chinese Communist Party, one must go a step further to distrust while verifying.
Let us now listen to this U.S. Republican Representative use such a statement in an interview with Voice of America to observe this U.S.-China summit. Voice of America journalists also interviewed many U.S.-China relations experts on this matter, discussing that besides observing how high-profile the welcome ceremony is, or how many important political and business figures attend the state banquet in the evening, the more important thing is not just looking at speculation surrounding the state banquet, but also looking at the specific issues that will be discussed at that time.
Many experts told us that the main issues that may be discussed this time can be summarized using the so-called four Ts. The first T is trade, Trade. Another is the Taiwan issue, as Taiwan is also considered a topic that will be discussed during this summit. There is also Technology, which is the topic of AI and a key focus of attention.
Now we cut back live to the scene of the White House welcome ceremony for Xi Jinping. We see Melania and Peng Liyuan already on screen, let us listen if there is any music at the scene.
President Trump, Graham Kemτα, and members of the Chinese delegation: I am delighted to welcome you to the beautiful White House, it is a tremendous honor. In May of this year, we had the privilege of visiting Beijing, and you hosted our delegation in a grand and very warm manner. Now, Melania and I are honored to host you in Washington, as Chairman Xi becomes the first Chinese leader to make a second official state visit to the United States. This is our first time meeting together here at the White House. And as President Xi has already seen, a lot has changed since he was last here. From Germany to Argentina, from Japan to Korea, from Beijing to the CTG beach, but surprisingly, this is our first time gathering together at the White House. As Chairman Xi himself can see, a lot has changed since his last visit.
President Xi and Madam Peng arrive at an important moment for America, the 250th anniversary of our founding. Tomorrow we will visit the National Archives to see some of the greatest treasures of that proud history, including the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
We will also see artifacts testifying to the long and cherished relationship of really something that's so incredible and cultural exchanges between China and the United States, just as our ancestors reached across the ocean centuries ago to trade, learn from each other, and build a better world together. Today our two countries will once again contribute to a better world. I am proud of the relationship between our two countries; we have a very good relationship.
Working together, President Xi and I have made tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries. During my visit in May, we created the Board of Trade. Through this successful new mechanism, the teams from both sides have been working hard to advance a more balanced trading relationship, which includes finding new market access opportunities for American farmers and ranchers.
During this visit, we will also discuss pressing issues concerning security, trade, technology, and artificial intelligence—also known as superintelligence. The decisions we make in these areas today will lay a solid foundation for world peace and prosperity for decades to come.
If we can focus on our common interests, I believe we can achieve a great deal. In the history of China-U.S. relations, the pursuit of common interests has connected the peoples of our two countries, spanning vast distances and many differences, and even made our two nations allies in World War II to achieve success. Brave American pilots volunteered to come to China to fight for its survival, becoming the legendary Flying Tigers. If we focus on our common interests, I'm confident there is much we can achieve. Throughout history, pursuit of those common interests has connected our people across the vast oceans, those big, tremendous distances and many differences, and even made us allies in World War II. Look at the greatness that we had together fighting in World War II. Brave American pilots volunteered to come to China.
And it was the United States Marines' encounter with Chinese people that inspired the Marines to adopt a Chinese phrase they still use today, Gung-ho. The Marines use it as an expression of great enthusiasm, but in Chinese it literally means working together.
Just as our two peoples once worked hand in hand to win the victory of that war, President Xi and I will continue to work together to create a better future for both countries. President Xi, Madame Peng, thank you once again for this historic visit, and welcome to the United States. Thank you. 感谢。Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping. 请习近平主席致词。
尊敬的特朗普总统和梅拉尼亚女士，还有各位美国的部长们、领导们，女士们、先生们、朋友们：很高兴对美丽的美利坚共和国进行国事访问。感谢特朗普总统和夫人给予我和我夫人的热情款待。首先，我仅代表14亿多中国人民，向美国人民致以诚挚问候，向美国独立250周年表示热烈祝贺。Honorable President Donald J. Trump and Mrs. Melania Trump, members of the U.S. delegation, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends. I am very glad to pay a state visit to your beautiful country, the United States of America. Thank you, President Trump and Mrs. Trump, for the warm hospitality you have extended to me and my wife. On behalf of the 1.4 billion and more Chinese people, I wish to begin by extending sincere greetings to the American people.
Both China and the United States are great countries, and both the Chinese and American peoples are great peoples. I am visiting the United States at President Trump's invitation to carry on our friendship, expand cooperation and promote the well-being of both our peoples. Both China and the United States are great countries, and both the Chinese and American peoples are great peoples. I am visiting the United States at President Trump's invitation to carry on our friendship, expand cooperation and promote the well-being of both our peoples.
Facing the changes in our world, in our times and of historical significance today, China and the United States as two major countries shoulder a historic responsibility of advancing human development and progress. Facing the changes in our world, in our times and of historical significance today, China and the United States as two major countries shoulder a historic responsibility of advancing human development and progress.
President Trump, during our visit to China this year, we agreed to build a constructive and stable strategic relationship between China and the United States, which has been widely welcomed by the peoples of both countries and the international community. I am willing to work together with President Trump to steer the great ship of China-U.S. relations to steady and sustained progress. Mr. President, during our visit to China this year, we need to strengthen communication. China and the United States have different national conditions, but through candid, in-depth and continuous dialogue, we can enhance understanding, seek common ground while shelving differences, and accumulate mutual trust. President Trump and I respect each other, established a good relationship, and maintain frequent communication. We encourage our government departments, such as those in foreign affairs, economy and trade, finance, law enforcement, and people-to-people exchanges, to strengthen communication, and we support our legislative bodies in expanding exchanges.
We encourage our government departments, such as those in charge of foreign affairs, economic matters, financial cooperation, law enforcement and people-to-people exchanges, to strengthen contact, and we support our legislative bodies in increasing exchanges. We encourage our government departments, such as those in charge of foreign affairs, economic matters, financial cooperation, law enforcement and people-to-people exchanges, to catch up on strengthening contact, and we support our legislative bodies in increasing exchanges.
We should cooperate with sincerity. The interests of China and the United States are deeply intertwined, and there is plenty of room for us to work together. China-U.S. cooperation may not solve every problem in the world, but without our cooperation, it would be hard to solve many of the world's problems. China keeps its door wide open, welcomes American companies wanting to invest and do business there. We hope Chinese companies are treated fairly here in the United States. Working together, we can lengthen the list of cooperation and shorten the list of issues.
Both China and the United States are leading nations in artificial intelligence. We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good, and ensure that the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people. On counter-narcotics and law enforcement, the Chinese side is willing to strengthen cooperation with the United States. Our two sides may also increase direct flights to facilitate two-way travel and trade.
However, competition should be benign and bounded, a race of catching up with each other rather than a wrestle in which one either wins or loses. China and the United States must hold the line of no conflict and no confrontation, and we can certainly find the right path for two major countries to get along on this planet. Our two militaries must maintain regular dialogue and improve crisis communication and prevention mechanisms. The Thucydides trap can be overcome. We should co-exist in peace. As I have said many times, China and the United States, as two major countries, stand to gain from cooperation and will both lose in confrontation. We do not need to avoid mentioning competition, but our competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds. It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses. China and the United States must hold the line of no conflict and no confrontation between us, and we can certainly find the right path for our two great countries to get along on this planet we both call home. Our two militaries should maintain regular dialogue and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention. The Thucydides trap can be overcome.
The hope of China-U.S. relations lies in the people, and the future lies in the youth. Here I announce that in the coming 5 years, the Chinese side will invite 100,000 American youths to China for exchange and study. Like President Trump mentioned earlier, during the Second World War, Chinese and Americans fought shoulder to shoulder against fascist aggression. Chinese people have never forgotten.
The giant panda is an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples. Today I want to share some good news: in a few days, giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will arrive at Zoo Atlanta to meet with the American people. The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans. Here I have a piece of good news. In a few days, two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will come to their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, and become America, to be America again, to be America again, to be America again, to be America again, let us think about people's presumptions and showcase our history, let us continue to move forward with our two partners, working together with us to build a better world. Thank you everyone, thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the conclusion of the ceremony and the departure of the official party.
Well, just now at around 10:20 AM Eastern Time, according to the White House's scheduled agenda, President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered respective remarks at a welcome ceremony held for them at the White House. As we just saw on screen, officials from both sides were also in attendance. This included Chief of Staff of the CCP Central Committee Cai Qi, who arrived at the White House with Xi for the welcome ceremony, as well as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who were among the accompanying officials.
As for those who appeared on the US side of the welcome ceremony, alongside Vice President Vance and his wife, there was also President Trump's daughter Ivanka, as well as Secretary of State Rubio and Treasury Secretary Bessent, all of whom appeared at the welcome ceremony just now. Later, they will also hold an expanded cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room.
During the portion where both delivered remarks, President Trump particularly emphasized the great friendship between him and Xi, and previewed that he would take Xi to visit the National Archives on Friday, thereby leading into the common interests and history shared by both sides. President Trump specifically talked about the history of the Flying Tigers, when the US and China fought side by side during World War II. He also specifically mentioned that the topics discussed by both sides at the summit include superintelligence—which is a new topic he raised, not artificial intelligence but superintelligence—which will be among the topics discussed by both sides, and he hopes that the US and China can join hands to create a better future.
When General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke, he also particularly emphasized the history of the US and China fighting side by side during World War II. He said that the Chinese people will not forget this history, and the American people will not forget this history, and announced that over the next 5 years, 100,000 American teenagers will be invited to China to study.
General Secretary Xi Jinping also made a major gift announcement during his speech: in just a few days, two giant pandas, Pingping and Fushuang, will arrive at the Atlanta Zoo in the United States, thereby restarting panda diplomacy between the US and China.
Of course, Xi also emphasized one point in particular during his remarks, which is that the Thucydides Trap can be jointly crossed by the US and China. He hopes that the US and China can strengthen communication and expand exchanges across various institutions; he also hopes, just like President Trump when discussing the AI issue, to open more direct flights to make exchanges between the two countries more convenient. He also emphasized that peaceful coexistence is very important for both the US and China—cooperation benefits both, while confrontation hurts both. He hopes that both sides can lengthen the list of cooperation and shorten the list of issues. These were some of the highlights of the remarks made by the heads of state of the US and China at the White House welcome ceremony earlier.
Later, in the scheduled White House schedule, the two heads of state and their spouses have now gone inside the doors, heading into the Blue Room of the White House. According to the morning schedule released in advance by the White House, President Trump and First Lady Melania are expected to exchange gifts with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at around 10:30 AM this morning in the Blue Room of the White House. This segment is not open to any media filming, meaning we currently do not have any live footage from inside the White House.
However, we know that in US-China head-of-state diplomacy, the gift diplomacy segment is not only a protocol arrangement, but often carries cultural and political meanings and symbolism. Looking back at past meetings between President Trump and Xi Jinping, the gifts exchanged by both sides left behind many noteworthy details.
We can see footage from May of this year during the Beijing summit, which was when President Trump visited China: Xi hosted President Trump for a tea conversation at Zhongnanhai in Beijing. Xi specifically mentioned at the time that Zhongnanhai is where Chinese leaders work and live, and that he chose to host President Trump there in response to Trump hosting him at Mar-a-Lago in 2017. While the two toured the gardens of Zhongnanhai—I can shorten this history of the two exchanging gifts a bit, because we now see on screen that, according to the White House's scheduled time, the heads of state and first ladies are about to jointly view the military honor guard.
This is footage from earlier today at the White House, at the grand portico. We can see this is earlier footage: First Lady Melania and President Trump welcoming visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan at the door. We should especially emphasize for everyone that this is earlier footage; what we see on screen is around 10:05 AM this morning, Eastern Time, in front of the White House, where President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed the visit of Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan.
Taking advantage of the playback of earlier footage currently airing, I will continue discussing why we do not have new footage. We are currently rebroadcasting the arrival footage from 10:05 AM because the two heads of state and their spouses are actually in the Blue Room of the White House right now. According to the schedule given to us in advance by the White House, they are currently in the Blue Room conducting the gift exchange, which is closed to media filming.
In the past, President Trump and President Xi Jinping have also exchanged many gifts. As just mentioned, in May at Zhongnanhai, what Xi gave to President Trump at the time was Chinese monthly rose seeds from the garden in Zhongnanhai. Because when President Trump was touring Zhongnanhai at the time, Xi led him through the garden, and he said he was interested in these Chinese monthly roses, so Xi gave the Chinese monthly rose seeds as a gift to President Trump at the time, as a minor episode in the exchange of head-of-state diplomatic gifts.
Xi Jinping subsequently stated that he agreed to present these Chinese rose seeds as a gift to President Trump, and President Trump responded on the spot that he very much liked the gift of Chinese rose seeds. This detail also became a deeply symbolic moment during the summit between the leaders of the US and China last May.
If we look at it from the perspective of US-China diplomatic etiquette, the Chinese rose seeds are not just a gift, but are also connected to the interest President Trump showed in Chinese gardens and flora when he visited Zhongnanhai at the time. Therefore, such diplomatic arrangements for gifts between the US and China require this kind of ingenuity to be more meaningful.
This also includes Xi Jinping announcing today at the welcome ceremony site at the White House that he will give the US two giant pandas, Pingping and Fushuang, which is actually a very interesting episode of head-of-state gift diplomacy between the US and China. Since they are still exchanging gifts now, before the latest military welcome footage comes out, we can also talk about an earlier time back in 2017. When Xi Jinping first visited the US during Trump's first term, the gifts exchanged by both sides at that time also reflected the cultural elements of both the US and China.
We do not know what gifts they are exchanging this year, but according to records of foreign government gifts released by the US government, an important gift given by Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan to President Trump and Melania at that time was a set of approximately 85 pieces of porcelain state banquet tableware. This set of tableware featured colorful floral patterns, with two of the plates specially printed with architectural motifs of President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. According to recorded US government documents, the estimated value of this tableware at the time was over $10,000.
There was another gift that Xi Jinping gave to President Trump that year, which had greater cultural symbolism: a large piece of Chinese calligraphy accompanied by exquisite Chinese decorative objects. This is also shown in the US government archival records, with the estimated value of this gift at the time being around $14,000. Later, in accordance with regulations, it was transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration for preservation.
So we can see that interesting gift diplomacy between the US and China can range from Chinese porcelain featuring Mar-a-Lago patterns to the Chinese rose seeds given by Xi Jinping to Trump at the Beijing summit last May. These gifts actually share certain characteristics: they incorporate traditional Chinese cultural elements while also combining President Trump's personal interests or the specific context of US-China relations.
Therefore, what is currently taking place right now is in the Blue Room, where this segment involves the exchange of gifts between the US and Chinese heads of state and their spouses. At today's welcome ceremony held at the White House for Xi Jinping, gift diplomacy has seen a new development, with two newest giant pandas also coming to the Atlanta Zoo in the US. This can also be considered panda diplomacy and gift diplomacy.
As we await the appearance of the latest live footage from the White House, let's take a look at the earlier footage. This footage shows the perimeter of the White House Oval Garden, meaning there are actually a large number of media outlets still waiting at the White House because a second phase of the welcome ceremony will take place here later. We can see that the military band and honor guard are already making preparations.
So today we can really see that the White House, including the First Lady's office, has prepared very thoughtfully for the welcome ceremony of this high-level state visit. You can see that the band members are also dressed in colonial-era costumes.
Alright, now we see the live footage. This is footage of what is actually happening right now, with President Trump and Xi Jinping preparing to walk down the steps to watch the drill and military music performance of the military honor guard, and most importantly, there will be a flyover by fighter jets. We are now cutting the footage straight to the scene to listen to the live sound.
It's 12:10, let's check the time again, right? I no longer have a script. If there isn't one, we will just listen to them live. Now we are seeing the footage from the Washington studio because we temporarily lost the broadcast of the live White House footage. However, according to news given to us earlier by the White House, the feed has now returned.
According to the White House news and schedule we received, it is currently about 10:58 AM Eastern Time, and the itinerary is running slightly delayed. Currently, it is scheduled that President Trump and First Lady Melania will join President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan to watch the drill rehearsal of the military honor guard together. At the scene, we can hear the sound of music, and a large number of media personnel are filming on-site. The porches of the White House are also adorned with the national flags of both the US and China. This location is the South Portico of the White House.
Scheduled later at 11:00 AM Eastern Time, President Trump and the First Lady, along with Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, will jointly participate in the military review ceremony, which will take place in the Rose Garden of the White House. Of course, according to White House information we received in advance, the White House has specially arranged a flyover by advanced US military fighter jets after the military review ceremony as the finale of the welcome ceremony.
Right now, a large number of mainstream US and international media outlets are waiting for the leaders of the two countries to emerge, preparing to watch the drill rehearsal of the military band and honor guard at the scheduled time and conduct the military review ceremony. The entire ceremony is scheduled to last about 20 minutes. Later, scheduled for 11:30 AM—as Eastern Time has now reached 11:00 AM—President Trump is scheduled to return to the Oval Office to hold a small-scale bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping. However, this bilateral meeting currently appears to be closed to media coverage.
Right after at 12:00 PM, President Trump and President Xi Jinping will also hold an expanded bilateral meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House, which is likewise closed to media coverage. At that time, during the expanded bilateral meeting, both sides will begin discussing some of the important topics previously mentioned by the two heads of state, including AI, artificial intelligence, superintelligence, as well as trade and tariffs. These are all important topics scheduled to be touched upon in today's broader bilateral meeting between the two sides, and they are matters of great concern to both parties.
Media personnel are still waiting for the welcoming ceremony in the Rose Garden, the White House, and the South Portico. We can actually look back at the speeches delivered by the two heads of state during the welcoming ceremony at the White House just moments ago to get a glimpse of the officials who might be sent to participate in the expanded bilateral meeting at 12:00 PM—namely, the U.S.-China summit—when substantive agenda discussions take place.
Among the U.S. personnel who arrived at the White House today to attend the welcoming ceremony, aside from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, we also just saw U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Among the Chinese attendees arriving at the White House welcoming ceremony accompanying President Xi and his wife, and likely participating in the expanded bilateral U.S.-China meeting at 12:00 PM, is Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the CCP Central Committee. He is a core aide and key coordinator for Xi Jinping, which is why we saw Cai Qi appearing on screen just now.
Of course, there is also Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, who will also engage with Marco Rubio on bilateral diplomatic and strategic issues. As for Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who already held a preparatory meeting with Treasury Secretary Bessent on Sunday, the two will directly talk and communicate regarding the economic and trade negotiations between the U.S. and China during today's 12:00 PM expanded bilateral meeting.
According to information we obtained from the White House in advance, the personnel participating in the upcoming military welcome today include more than 470 U.S. military personnel for an honor guard drill and a grand military salute welcoming ceremony. We can now faintly hear some military music in the background. In this context, according to the schedule, both sides are still awaiting the military salute welcoming ceremony. Media on-site are still waiting, but the ceremony could begin at any moment.
In fact, this corner of the White House Rose Garden that we now see on screen was renovated by President Trump after he entered his second term. It is likely that he brought Xi Jinping, his distinguished guest, and his wife Peng Liyuan to visit this corner of the White House that he had remodeled, including the Rose Garden and the photos of past presidents hanging on the wall, all of which were redecorated when he came in for his second term. Among the distinguished guests walking past just now, we also saw Ivanka, so he should be bringing Xi Jinping, his accompanying officials, and U.S. personnel to take a tour.
He is showing them some of the remodeling, layout, and decoration he carried out on this corner of the White House after entering and returning to the White House for his second term.
These designs stem from the creative ingenuity of First Lady Melania, including the reorganization of the Rose Garden, where the First Lady actually played a relatively important and heavy role. Now, while still waiting for the distinguished guests to finish touring the White House, the military band and honor guard are already on standby, and the media on-site are eagerly looking forward to it. Once the two heads of state finish their tour, they can proceed with the military honor guard review segment according to the scheduled timeline. It currently appears that the entire welcoming ceremony has been delayed slightly, so our full livestream is waiting together with everyone for the next major highlight of the welcoming ceremony to take the stage.
We see the camera has switched to another corner of the White House Rose Garden. Today's entire White House welcoming ceremony—after VOA started its special live broadcast of the U.S.-China summit welcoming ceremony at 9:30 AM Eastern Time this morning—has now reached 11:08 AM Eastern Time, lasting over an hour and a half. This entire ceremony held by President Trump and First Lady Melania to welcome Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan can be said to involve very high-level diplomatic courtesy, and the entire morning has been scheduled for welcoming activities for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
We see on-site are Vice President JD Vance and his wife, as well as Ivanka, President Trump's daughter, along with Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who are also preparing at the White House to review the military salute welcoming ceremony together with visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Therefore, it appears that in the upcoming expanded bilateral meeting between the U.S. and China—scheduled to be held at 12:00 PM in the White House Cabinet Room—Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will all likely participate.
President Trump also specifically mentioned during his remarks earlier that he has met and worked with Xi Jinping on many important occasions, but this is the first time he is hosting the President of China at the White House in his capacity as president for a second term. Therefore, this consecutive 3-day state visit can be said to feature very important activities every single day. In addition to President Trump personally going to Joint Base Andrews to greet him upon arrival yesterday, today features the welcoming ceremony at the White House, a grand state banquet tonight, and a scheduled visit to the U.S. National Archives on Friday.
Now we see that officials and entourages from both the US and Chinese sides are in position at the South Portico, preparing for President Trump, Xi Jinping, and the two First Ladies to arrive at the scene to jointly review today's military welcome ceremony. We can hear some of the music from the scene, as the military band is still performing. Now we have seen President Trump, Xi Jinping, and the two First Ladies take their positions. According to the current schedule, they will watch the drill rehearsal together. We are also switching the audio to the live feed to listen to the performance of the military band.
The grand military welcome ceremony is still underway at the scene. Xi Jinping and President Trump will also inspect the military band and honor guard shortly. What we just saw was the welcome ceremony at the White House. Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, along with US President Trump and First Lady Melania, together with officials and distinguished guests from both sides, watched the performance by the US military band in the Rose Garden, which is at the South Portico of the White House. As this year marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, a colonial-style band performance was also specially arranged. Just now, at around 11:20 AM Eastern Time, led by advanced US B-2 bombers, advanced fighter jets also flew overhead as part of this military welcome ceremony.
Later at 11:30 AM, which is the pre-scheduled time by the White House, the two sides will hold a bilateral meeting between the heads of state in the Oval Office, a portion that is not open to media coverage. Or perhaps following the military welcome, for now we temporarily have no way to see the live footage of the White House welcome ceremony. Following the scheduled Oval Office bilateral meeting at 11:30 AM, there will also be talks scheduled for 12:00 PM in the White House Cabinet Room, where President Trump, President Xi Jinping, and key officials from both sides will hold an expanded US-China bilateral meeting.
This is currently the welcome ceremony hosted today by President Trump and First Lady Melania at the White House for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan. Earlier when we saw the scene of the welcome ceremony, we could actually catch a glimpse of the officials likely to participate in the expanded US-China bilateral talks later today, including Secretary of Defense Hegseth, US Secretary of State Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Bessent. US Treasury Secretary Bessent actually held a pre-meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on Sunday, before Xi's arrival, to communicate in advance regarding the economic and trade negotiations and tariffs of most concern, foreshadowing the issues that may be touched upon during this US-China summit, including artificial intelligence (AI), which President Trump now refers to as super intelligence.
Returning to the issues of concern at this US-China summit, as we previewed slightly earlier while the welcome ceremony was taking place, besides economics, trade, and tariffs, the Taiwan topic and the Taiwan issue will also be topics that officials from the US and Chinese sides may touch upon during their closed-door discussions later, and are expected by the outside world to be addressed. Of course, due to the relatively tense situation in the Middle East right now, the issue of Iran, namely Tehran, may also become one of the focuses of discussion between the two sides.
Precisely because this US-China summit touches upon a great many issues, Voice of America will later have many in-depth analyses and reports on its website, interviewing various US-China relations experts at Washington think tanks, providing detailed analyses regarding the trade, Taiwan, Iran, and artificial intelligence parts that may be touched upon during this US-China heads of state summit.
Now VOA reporter Huang Yaoyi is also at the Rose Garden scene, simultaneously watching the band performance we saw just now, as well as the review of the military band and honor guard, along with the heads of state of the US and China. Now the heads of state are still at the White House. Before conducting the talks, perhaps they will come out again later to engage in some activities. Looking at this footage, we can ask the director to play some footage of the welcome ceremony from earlier today to help review the most exciting parts for everyone. Before the heads of state prepared to speak on the state floor of the White House, we actually saw the entourages of both sides appear. Now is the national anthem segment, but to explain to everyone, this is earlier footage.
What we just saw is the footage of President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping playing the national anthem before preparing to speak during the White House welcome ceremony. In fact, at around 10:20 AM Eastern Time earlier, the heads of state of the US and China delivered respective speeches at the welcome ceremony. This segment was not originally arranged in the White House schedule, and it was only announced yesterday that there would be a segment featuring speeches by the heads of state of both sides.
Among the speeches delivered by the two heads of state, there were also some very noteworthy key points, which might be issues touched upon during the substantive negotiations between the two sides next. Both heads of state, including President Trump and Xi Jinping, discussed the issue of AI, which is an issue that the outside world has always believed is the most important addition to this US-China summit compared to May.
Aside from artificial intelligence, the three most important issues in May this year were trade, Taiwan, and Tehran, meaning the Iran issue. At the time of the May summit, these were the issues of concern. Therefore, not only are people observing today's welcome ceremony, but everyone is also very concerned about whether the discussion of these important issues at this US-China summit might yield some major breakthroughs or progress.
What you are seeing on the screen right now is footage from a short while ago, showing President Trump and First Lady Melania waiting outside the White House for the arrival of the motorcade of the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping. What you just saw was the welcome ceremony held this morning at the White House by President Trump and First Lady Melania for the visiting President of China, Xi Jinping, and his wife, Peng Liyuan. The entire ceremony began at 10:00 AM this morning and has now lasted past 11:30 AM Eastern Time, making it a one-and-a-half-hour welcome ceremony.
The ceremony began with the rolling out of a red carpet while awaiting the arrival of Xi Jinping, followed by speeches given by the two heads of state on the State Floor, and the subsequent exchange of gifts in the Blue Room. After a brief rest, they returned to the White House Rose Garden to review the military band and honor guard present at the scene. This entire ceremony can be said to be a welcome of the highest diplomatic protocol extended by the White House to the visiting President of China, Xi Jinping.