The dramatic flyover formed part of an elaborate welcome for Xi, who arrived for a three-day state visit. Trump himself traveled to the military airfield to greet the Chinese leader, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.
The ceremony featured a red carpet, honor guard, military band and full military pageantry. The B-1 bombers added a particularly dramatic flourish as they passed over the two leaders while cameras rolled.
Xi's arrival in Washington marks his first visit to the capital since 2015. He is scheduled to hold meetings and policy discussions with Trump throughout his stay. The summit takes place against a backdrop of ongoing tensions between the two powers, though both Washington and Beijing are attempting to stabilize the relationship.
Trade between the two nations tops the agenda. The United States and China have reached agreements that brought a pause to the tariff war, and the leaders are expected to discuss further trade arrangements between the world's two largest economies. Talks are also expected to cover critical minerals, exports, technology and industry.
Another issue is the race for artificial intelligence supremacy. Washington and Beijing find themselves in escalating competition over advanced technology development, with discussions potentially including the creation of a communication mechanism between the countries in case of AI incidents with security implications.
