US President Donald Trump's welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland grabbed attention online after a video showed Trump appearing to wince as US military aircraft flew overhead.
Xi Jinping arrived in the United States on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, his first trip to Washington in more than a decade. Trump personally travelled to Joint Base Andrews to welcome the Chinese leader, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump. Xi was accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan.
During the arrival ceremony, two US Air Force B-1 bombers flew over the airfield as the US national anthem was played. The flypast was part of the military display arranged for Xi's arrival.
A video of the moment showed Trump saluting before appearing to react to the loud sound of the aircraft. He briefly appeared to wince and looked in Xi's direction, while Xi appeared largely unfazed by the flypast. The contrasting reactions quickly went viral on social media.
The clip triggered a range of reactions online, with some users questioning why Trump appeared startled by the aircraft when the flypast was part of the planned welcome ceremony. Others defended the military display, viewing it as a demonstration of US military strength.
The arrival ceremony featured a red carpet, an honour guard, military personnel, national anthems and a formal welcome for the Chinese delegation. Trump's decision to personally greet Xi at the military airfield underscored the significance attached to the Chinese president's visit.
#WATCH | U.S. Air Force B-1 Lancer supersonic bombers flew overhead as U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews
— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2026
(Video Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/pgMzRiLH9y
Trump and Xi are expected to hold high-level talks at the White House during Xi's visit. Their discussions are expected to cover trade and tariffs, technology and artificial intelligence, Taiwan, military relations and several international conflicts.
Xi's visit comes amid continued strategic competition between Washington and Beijing, making the summit closely watched internationally. While the viral flypast video has become a major social-media talking point, the central focus of the visit remains the talks between the two leaders and their efforts to manage broader US-China relations.
