FT: Trump to meet Xi Jinping will violate 60 years of protocol
US President Donald Trump has decided to personally meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Andrews Air Base, which will violate the protocol established 60 years ago, the Financial Times reports. U.S. presidents usually host world leaders at the White House, and a face-to-face runway meeting has been a practice that has not been practiced since Kennedy met British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1962.
US President Donald Trump has decided to personally meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Andrews Air Base, which will violate the protocol established 60 years ago, the Financial Times reports.
U.S. presidents usually host world leaders at the White House, and a face-to-face runway meeting has been a practice that has not been practiced since Kennedy met British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1962.
This rare diplomatic gesture, according to the publication, serves as a testament to deep respect and emphasizes the special importance of the upcoming negotiations. Xi’s visit to the United States on September 23-25 will be his first state visit to the United States in 11 years.
Donald Trump has already violated such formalities. In August 2025, he personally met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the airfield in Anchorage.
