From red carpet to flypast to banquet, Trump lays it on thick for Xi

TOI correspondent from Washington: If diplomacy is the art of keeping a straight face, China’s leader Xi Jinping won hands down during the opening act on Thursday at Andrews Air Force Base where US President Donald Trump received him on a state visit.For a fleeting moment, the changing balance of the US-China relationship was captured not in a joint communique, but in a visual metaphor. As American bombers roared overhead in a flypast intended to wow the visitor, it was Trump who winced, while Xi watched impassively -- an unintended piece of geopolitical choreography more eloquent than any statement.Beyond those few revealing seconds, there were other cues that pointed to the new phase of the relationship that indicated China is seen as a peer, even as some pundits believe it is starting to eclipse America.