Andrews on Wednesday, opening a state visit heavy on ceremony and light on expected breakthroughs. After a red carpet rollout, Trump and First Lady Melania greeted Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan as a military band played anthems. A B-1 bomber flyover visibly jolted the 80-year-old Trump, who grimaced, while Xi stood impassive. Trump shrugged off Xi's failure to offer a similar airport reception during his May visit to Beijing. The visit — the third between the two leaders since Trump returned to power — includes a formal welcome, another flyover, Oval Office talks, and a Thursday state banquet. It concludes Friday with tea and a National Archives visit. Analysts expect pageantry rather than progress, aimed chiefly at preserving a fragile calm between the rivals. There was one early result: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a trade truce extension past its November 10 deadline to January 10, following pre-summit talks with counterpart He Lifeng. Hopes for business deals dimmed, however, as no Chinese CEOs joined Xi's delegation, while top US tech executives — including AI industry leaders — will attend Thursday's banquet. Iran is on the agenda, Trump confirmed, after earlier downplaying reports Beijing supplied Tehran intelligence during the ongoing conflict. AI is expected to dominate discussions amid fears the technology threatens humanity, with both nations racing for supremacy. Preliminary talks covered creating a channel for AI concerns. The warm reception drew fire from China hawks in Trump's own party. Senator Roger Wicker, chairing the Armed Services Committee, called Xi "a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator." For Trump, the visit offers pageantry amid slumping approval ratings driven by war-related fuel prices ahead of November midterms. (Bssnews)