Trump will greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews, not just White House

Donald Trump will welcome Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington on Wednesday, in a break with six decades of protocol that displays a huge amount of respect for the leader of the only other superpower.

It will be the first time a US commander-in-chief has greeted a world leader at the base since John F Kennedy met UK prime minister Harold Macmillan on the tarmac in 1962. In May, Xi did not even travel to Beijing’s airport to greet Trump.

The occasion will make a historic moment in Trump’s relationship with Xi, whom he has repeatedly praised as a “great leader”.