A short video circulating on social media has drawn attention to a moment involving US First Lady Melania Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Xi’s state visit to the United States. The footage by ANI appears to show Xi moving towards Melania as if to shake hands, while she raises her right hand and takes a step back. At the same time, President Donald Trump is seen shaking hands with a Chinese official accompanying Xi. The footage does not establish why Melania made the gesture, and no official explanation has been given.
Xi was in the United States from September 23 to 25 for a state visit hosted by Trump. The visit included several highly ceremonial engagements, including a rare planeside welcome at Joint Base Andrews, a White House state arrival ceremony, a state dinner and meetings between the two presidents.
What the viral video appears to show
In the widely circulated clip, Trump is seen greeting Xi and shaking hands. Xi then turns towards Melania, appearing to move in her direction for a handshake.
Melania raises her right hand and appears to step backwards instead of extending her hand towards Xi at that moment. Trump, meanwhile, continues greeting another member of the Chinese delegation.
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The brief exchange has prompted widespread discussion online, but the footage itself does not explain the reason for Melania’s movement. The Economic Times reported that no official statement had addressed the gesture, while the Times of India described the moment as appearing to show Melania pulling back as Xi moved towards her.
Melania had already greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, during the visit.
Xi’s US visit began with a rare airport welcome
Xi arrived in Washington on September 23 and received an unusually personal welcome from Trump at Joint Base Andrews. Trump and Melania were present on the tarmac as the Chinese president and Peng Liyuan arrived.
The welcome included a red carpet, an honour guard, military music and a flyover involving two B-1 Lancer bombers. The planeside reception was notable because a sitting US president personally greeted a visiting foreign leader at the airport, rather than waiting for the formal reception at the White House.
The White House also published footage of Trump and Melania welcoming Xi and Peng at Joint Base Andrews on September 23.
Trump’s other gestures during the state visit
The handshake moment came during a visit that featured several highly visible gestures between the two countries.
According to the White House, Trump gave Xi an exclusive tour of Marine One and the new South Lawn helipad on September 24. The two leaders also took part in the formal state-arrival programme and other events during the visit.
At the state dinner, Trump presented Xi and Peng with a custom-made statue of a bald eagle, the White House said.
The visit concluded on September 25 after three days of official engagements.
Why the handshake clip is drawing attention
The brief interaction involving Melania has become a subject of social-media commentary largely because the gesture is open to interpretation. Some posts describe it as a handshake snub, while others have offered different explanations for what happened.
The available footage, however, only shows the physical movement and does not provide evidence of Melania’s intention.
That distinction is important because the clip captures only a few seconds of a much longer diplomatic programme in which the US and Chinese leaders and their spouses participated in multiple formal interactions.
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