Trump welcomes Xi Jinping to Washington state visit

The visit marks the first time in recent memory that a U.S. president has received his Chinese counterpart on an American airport tarmac, a gesture that underscores the ceremonial weight of the occasion. Xi is traveling with his wife, Peng Liyuan, a former military singer.

The meetings will span thorny issues including trade and Taiwan, followed by a state dinner, the second of Trump's current term. Even so, the framing from the outset has been one of low expectations for breakthroughs on long-standing feuds between the world's biggest economies.

What the visit ultimately delivers hinges on whether the two sides can move beyond ceremony on the issues dividing them. For now, the body reports no concrete outcome, so the stakes remain a matter of whether the symbolism translates into any substantive progress.