Xi visit to Washington all pomp but little progress so far

Figure caption, A red carpet and military flyover - How Trump welcomed Xi

North America correspondent Published 1 hour ago At least so far, Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington has been all pomp and little obvious progress on pressing issues.

From the ceremonial welcoming at a military air base on Wednesday to the honour-guard arrival at the White House this morning, President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet – literally and figuratively – for his Chinese counterpart.

The public remarks from the two leaders have teemed with warm words and diplomatic niceties. In a statement before today's formal meetings, Xi announced a gift of Chinese pandas and unveiled a new student exchange programme.

"Let us keep advancing the cause of friendship between our two peoples and work together to build a better world," he said.