A Behind-the-Scenes Push to Get Xi a Red Carpet Welcome

“Chinese leader Xi Jinping wanted his upcoming trip to the U.S. to be categorized as a ‘state visit,’ the highest tier of diplomatic pageantry. The designation would come with honor guards, a 21-gun salute and a formal welcome on the White House South Lawn,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“When he arrives Wednesday, Xi will get his way, but reaching an agreement took weeks of work.”

“The two sides sparred over what to call the trip before Washington agreed to Beijing’s requests, said people involved in the preparations, marking this the first state visit for the Chinese leader in more than a decade. That quiet fight over a label, more than anything likely to be announced in Washington this week, captures what this summit is really about.”