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Carol Yang

A US military honour guard held a rehearsal at the White House as Washington fine-tuned diplomatic protocols and preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the United States next week.
A video clip posted on social media by Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson on Tuesday afternoon Washington time showed service members from various military branches dressed in ceremonial uniform and standing in formation.
The drill mirrored the welcome extended to US President Donald Trump on May 14 during his visit to Beijing, where China hosted an elaborate ceremony featuring a People’s Liberation Army honour guard in the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump praised the Chinese military’s marching as “incredible”.
“We certainly got a very nice greeting and today was beautiful,” Trump said at the time.

U.S. military Honor Guard rehearses at the White House ahead of visit by General Secretary Xi Jinping next week. pic.twitter.com/HvwvBvdg09
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) September 15, 2026

His satisfaction with China’s reception was also evident on social media, with both the official White House account and Trump’s personal account posting multiple photographs highlighting the honour guard.
Renovations at the White House are being wrapped up in anticipation of Xi’s arrival. The Washington Post reported earlier this month that workers had removed the drapes shrouding the North Portico, and the surrounding scaffolding is expected to be dismantled soon.
The North Portico project is part of a broader series of White House construction and renovation projects initiated by Trump, who aimed to complete several upgrades before hosting Xi for a planned state dinner.


Officials from both nations are working to prepare for the summit while adopting a distinctly milder tone ahead of the high-stakes meeting.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that he would meet Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng this weekend for final preparatory talks, less than a week before Xi’s scheduled arrival.
Meanwhile, Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun delivered a 20-minute address at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on Wednesday, advocating China’s vision for global security governance.
Dong called for maintaining global stability through multilateralism amid world turbulence. Striking a moderate tone, his speech refrained from naming any specific country and omitted mention of the Taiwan issue, marking a shift in rhetoric compared with last year’s speech.


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Chinese President Xi Jinping (centre left) holds a welcome ceremony for US President Donald Trump (centre right) in Beijing during the US leader’s state visit to China on May 14, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

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Video clip shows honour guard drill mirroring the welcome extended to Donald Trump during his China trip


Video clip shows honour guard drill mirroring the welcome extended to Donald Trump during his China trip.


Xi Jinping

Donald Trump

US-China relations

US military prepares ceremonial welcome for Xi Jinping at the White House

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Video clip shows honour guard drill mirroring the welcome extended to Donald Trump during his China trip

Video clip shows honour guard drill mirroring the welcome extended to Donald Trump during his China trip