Later this week when Xi Jinping arrives in the US for high-stakes talks, Donald Trump will be there at Joint Base Andrews airbase to welcome him personally, a rare departure from protocol for the US president.
Analysts say the gesture is an indication of how seriously Trump is taking this visit, and of the dramatic transformation in China’s stature on the world stage since Xi’s last visit to Washington over a decade ago, when he had to wait for his chance to meet then-president Barack Obama at a nuclear security summit.
