An apparent attempt at a show of force from Donald Trump towards Chinese president Xi Jinping appeared to backfire with the president’s reaction.
Xi is currently in the US, arriving on 23 September to commence talks with Trump on topics including Russia, Iran, as well as artificial intelligence.
The Chinese president was greeted by a big fanfare in the US, including military bands, fighter jets, and a 100ft red carpet as he and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived at Joint Base Andrews, with Trump and Melania meeting them with handshakes.
Trump and Xi then stood next to one another, with the bands playing the national anthems of China and the US, and Trump saluting the troops.
The US national anthem was punctuated by a flyover of two B-1 bombers, which make an immense noise as they pass by.
It’s possible that Trump may have intended the flyover as an act of intimidation, but as the immensely loud planes passed over the president was seen wincing in discomfort, seemingly from just how loud the noise was.
Trump then shakes his head in admiration while smiling, saying something, though it’s not clear what, before returning to his salute.
Meanwhile, Xi appeared impassive at the flyover, watching calmly as the planes roared past.
B-1 bombers, also known as B-1 Lancers, are nuclear-capable bombers in the US arsenal which can also fly at supersonic speeds.
The planes have a mechanism which allows them to sweep their wings back mid flight, creating a more streamlined shape and allowing them to achieve higher speeds, meaning they can close on targets more quickly, and avoid enemy air defences.
They are one of three strategic bombers currently operated by the US Air Force, with the other two being the B-52 Stratofortress, and the B-2 Spirit, the stealth bomber.
Xi Jinping will be in the US for three days, and this is the first time that he has visited the US since 2015, back when Barack Obama was still president.
It was also unusual for Trump to meet the leader of another country directly as they arrive, with the more common procedure being for Trump to greet them at the White House.
Trump had also previously travelled to Beijing in May this year for an international summit.
The two presidents are expected to discuss a number of important topics, with world leaders gathering at the UN General Assembly.
Tensions with China remain high as Trump’s tariff policies started to bite, despite the US president subsequently suspending tariff increases after Beijing agreed to not restrict rare earth mineral exports.
The question around Taiwan also remains on the table, as Xi has previously said on several occasions that he wants to take the island.
Despite not giving much away about how he might go about this, or what plans China has regarding Taiwan, Xi has previously refused to rule out using military force to take Taiwan.
However, this would be a big risk as China’s military, though large and well equipped, is relatively untested in combat.
Taking the island by force would also require a challenging amphibious assault, and Beijing is unlikely to want such a potential attack to become long and drawn out, as has been seen with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.