U.S. President Donald Trump's unusually direct departure to the airport to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping has drawn keen attention in China as well.

Analyses suggest that a combination of domestic political considerations aimed at highlighting improvements in U.S.-China relations and personal courtesy toward President Xi played a role.

According to the Chinese media outlet The Paper on the 24th, Wu Xinbo, Dean of the Institute of International Studies and Director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, evaluated President Trump's airport greeting as showing that "President Trump places great importance on President Xi's visit this time."

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump personally went out to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., on the afternoon of the 23rd (local time) to welcome President Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan.

The Paper reported that this was the first time a U.S. president directly greeted a foreign leader at this base since then-President John F. Kennedy welcomed British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in 1962.

The Paper explained that under U.S. diplomatic protocol, when a foreign leader arrives at an airport, the vice president or secretary of state typically greets them, and the president holds an official welcoming ceremony at the White House.

Although former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama have each greeted the pope at the airport, the courtesy extended to the pope and that to a foreign leader can be seen as different in nature.

Director Wu views that domestic U.S. political circumstances likely influenced President Trump's unusual greeting.

He analyzed that "with the midterm elections approaching and President Trump facing a series of pressures both domestically and internationally, he likely judged that President Xi's visit to the U.S. could serve as 'bonus points' for him."

This is interpreted to mean that if certain achievements are made at the U.S.-China summit, they can be touted as foreign policy successes and utilized politically.

President Trump's respect for President Xi on a personal level was also cited as an important background.

Director Wu surmised that the personal relationship was reflected in the direct airport greeting, noting, "President Trump has stated on multiple occasions that he respects President Xi and has repeatedly emphasized that a deep personal friendship has been formed between the two."

The possibility that protocol considerations also had an impact was raised.

Director Wu explained that President Trump had originally planned to build a large banquet hall at the White House to host President Xi, but was unable to use it due to delays in construction.

"In terms of protocol and hospitality, President Trump may have felt apologetic toward the Chinese side," he said, adding, "There is a possibility that he tried to compensate for this to some extent by personally going out to the airport to greet him."
 
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)