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With White House renovations, Trump will welcome Xi to Washington

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The new helipad at the White House is shown, from above — The new helipad. Photo: Al Drago/The Washington Post/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Trump will welcome China President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, beginning a three-day summit.

Why it matters: Amid talk about AI risks and rare earths, some D.C. think-tankers expect Xi's visit to Washington to bring more pomp than diplomatic breakthroughs.

Plus: Keep an eye out for downtown road closures (unannounced as of now) and demonstrations (one man tried to scale a downtown lamppost already).

State of play: Trump rushed along White House work just in time, like completing the new helipad on the South Lawn.

Nearby, bits of the driveway were also redone this week, the Washington Post reported. And construction shrouds and scaffolding are coming down on the North Portico, where Trump fashioned repairs to its Ionic columns.

What's ahead: On Thursday morning, a welcome ceremony will feature a Presidential Salute (big cannon booms) and end with a flyover (becoming more common in D.C.).

Deets about Thursday's State Dinner are expected soon. Business leaders from both countries are to join.
To conclude the trip, Trump will take Xi to the National Archives on Friday.

What we're watching: D.C. police are expected to release traffic advisories online.

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With White House renovations, Trump will welcome Xi to Washington

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