Washington | Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived here on a three-day visit to a warm welcome from US President Donald Trump, who received him at the airport amid pomp and fanfare.

The aircraft carrying Xi and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan touched down at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland near here at 5.39 pm local time on Wednesday (3.09 am IST, Thursday) for the second summit meeting with Trump in less than six months.

Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump were waiting at the foot of the ladder as Xi and Peng disembarked from the aircraft at 6.01 pm local time (3.31 am IST).

This was for the first time since 1962 that a US president had welcomed a leader of a foreign nation at the airport. That year, then president John F Kennedy had welcomed British prime minister Harold Macmillan at the airport.

After a brief welcome exchange, the two power couples walked down the 100-foot red carpet as a 21-person honour cordon stood in attention, and the US Air Force Band played amid ceremonial cannon fire.

Two B-1 bombers of the US Air Force flew over the airbase as the band played the national anthems of the US and China.

Xi and Peng left the airbase in a motorcade, while Trump and Melania boarded the Marine One chopper to return to the White House.

The Chinese delegation comprises Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the General Office of the Central Committee, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee.

Trade tariffs, technology, AI, military ties, conflicts in the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war, the arms race in space and US arms sales to Taiwan are expected to figure in talks between Xi and Trump.

"The relationship between the United States and China will define the 21st century," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New York on Wednesday.

Rubio admitted that there were strong disagreements between China and the US on a range of issues and said it would be "irresponsible" if the leadership of the two countries did not interact.

"I think it's an obligation to be able to interact at the highest levels now. I think that's what this visit reflects, is the president's belief that no matter what our disagreements and differences may be with the Chinese government, this is not some small country," Rubio said.

The state visit, which includes a formal state dinner at the White House on Thursday, is supposed to reciprocate for the ceremonial grandeur that marked Trump's May visit to China.

Melania Trump said earlier Wednesday her husband decided to personally greet Xi when he arrived in the Washington region because they have a great relationship.

"He's coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect," she said of Xi and his wife during an interview on Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends.

On Thursday, Xi will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the White House and a review of troops.

Before the black-tie dinner, which will feature tech industry leaders like Nvidia's Jensen Huang and SpaceX's Elon Musk, the two leaders are expected to dive into the weighty issues behind closed doors, even as expectations are low that the trip will produce any major breakthroughs in the relationship.

On Friday, Xi and Peng will be back at the White House for a private tea with the Trumps before joining them on a tour of the National Archives in Washington.

The White House has said they will view historic documents underscoring the relationship between the two countries