US President Donald Trump has welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for a high-stakes state visit, rolling out the red carpet as the two leaders seek to preserve a fragile truce while confronting tensions over trade, Taiwan and Iran. With US midterm elections approaching and Republicans at risk of losing control of Congress, Trump also has a domestic political stake in making the summit a success.
Trump took the unusual step of personally greeting Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington on Wednesday, where they were met with a red carpet, military honours and a flyover by B-1 bombers.
