foreign leader visits white house

Visits by Foreign Leaders

• Afghanistan
• Afghanistan (Interim Authority)
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Bosnian Federation
• Brunei Darussalam
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
• China, People’s Republic of
• China, Republic of
• Congo, Democratic Republic of
• Congo, Republic of
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Cuba (Provisional Government)
• Czech Republic
• Czechoslovakia
• Czechoslovakia (government-in-exile)
• Dahomey (Benin)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire)
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• France (Provisional Government)
• German Democratic Republic
• Germany, Federal Republic of
• Guinea-Bissau
• Israel (Provisional Government)
• Ivory Coast
• Khmer Republic (Cambodia)
• Korea, South
• Liechtenstein
• Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of
• Marshall Islands
• Muscat & Oman
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Poland (government-in-exile)
• Saint Lucia
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Siam (Thailand)
• Sierra Leone
• Slovak Republic
• Solomon Islands
• Somali Republic
• South Africa
• South Korea
• South Sudan
• St. Christopher and Nevis
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Switzerland
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkmenistan
• Union of South Africa
• United Kingdom
• Upper Volta
• Upper Volta (Burkina Faso)
• Vatican City
• Western Samoa
• Yemen Arab Republic
• Zimbabwe Rhodesia

Educate your inbox

Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.

Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm.

What do you think? Leave a respectful comment.

Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press

Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press

Aamer Madhani, Associated Press Aamer Madhani, Associated Press

• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-biden-meets-with-japanese-prime-minister-first-guest-to-white-house

WATCH: Biden meets with Japanese prime minister, first guest to White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling democracy the foundation for global prosperity, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday in a bid to underscore the two countries’ alliance as a counter to an autocratic and increasingly assertive China.

Watch the news conference it in the player above.

The visit was Biden’s first face-to-face talks with a foreign leader as president.

Suga and Biden, who wore masks for their meeting in the state dining room in a visit modified by White House precautions against the coronavirus, are seeking to challenge messaging from Chinese President Xi Jinping that America and democracies in general are on the decline, after the political turmoil and international withdrawal that marked Donald Trump’s presidency.

Suga said democracy, human rights and other shared values were “the very foundation of prosperity of the region and the globe.” It was one of many comments seen as a reference to China, which is increasingly flexing its economic and military strength internationally. Suga, who is seeking to showcase Japan’s security commitments with the United States, Japan’s only treaty ally, told reporters before his talks with Biden that the trip was meant to “reaffirm the new and tight bond between us” as the U.S. and Japan deal with challenges in the region.

The Biden administration calls managing U.S. policies toward China and the Indo-Pacific the primary challenge for the United States. That helped guide Biden’s decision, announced this week, to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and free the administration to focus more on East Asia.

For Biden and Suga, “our approach to China and our shared coordination and cooperation on that front will be part of the discussion,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday. The two will discuss other regional security issues, including North Korea’s nuclear program.

Suga, a farmer’s son who rose to Japan’s highest political office after an early stint as a worker in a cardboard factory, succeeded boss Shinzo Abe last September, after long serving as his chief Cabinet secretary.

Suga expressed eagerness to meet with Biden early on despite global COVID-19 lockdowns. The pandemic is changing the normal routine for a visit by a foreign leader, so Biden won’t be hosting Suga for a meal, Psaki said. Earlier Friday, Suga placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and visited with Vice President Kamala Harris. An honor guard greeted his arrival at the White House.

Suga began brief remarks to reporters before his session with Biden by expressing sympathy for the victims and families of the mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. “Innocent citizens must not be exposed to any such violence,” he said.

The months-old Biden administration looks to Suga to keep going on alliance-strengthening moves by both countries.

The two governments have been working to strengthen technology supply chains independent of China during a shortage of semiconductors that’s worrying businesses around the world. Japan is expected to announce an investment in 5G cellular networks, boosting alternatives to China’s network, as part of that supply chain cooperation.

Both countries are expected in coming days to make deeper commitments to cutting climate-wrecking fossil fuel emissions, in line with Biden’s climate summit with 40 world leaders next week.

The Biden administration may also have tougher requests of Japan, including pressing Suga for a rare public statement of support from a Japanese leader for Taiwan. China, which claims the self-governed island of Taiwan as its territory, tested U.S. and Taiwanese resolve weeks into the Biden administration by sending fighter jets and bombers near Taiwan.

Japan long has moved cautiously on steps that might worsen relations with China, though Suga has been more outspoken. His administration pushed its comfort zone in a statement stressing “peace and stability” on the Taiwan Strait. That came during a visit last month by Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, which was the Biden administration’s highest-level face-to-face meeting at the time.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned his Japanese counterpart in a call ahead of Suga’s visit to see to it that China-Japan relations “do not get involved in the so-called confrontation between major countries,” according to a Chinese government readout.

Japan’s economy is intertwined with China’s. That means even “with security concerns on the rise, Japan would have to take a two-pronged approach to balance competition and cooperation,” said Akio Takahara, a professor and China expert at the University of Tokyo.

Japan considers China’s growing military activity as well as its broad territorial claims to be a security threat. Japan is itself locked in a dispute with China over Beijing’s claim to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, called Diaoyu in China, in the East China Sea.

Elsewhere, Tokyo has watched with concern as China has built military installations on disputed territory it claims in the South China Sea.

U.S. ships regularly conduct so-called freedom of navigation operations, sailing into international waters that China claims as its own.

President Barack Obama was seen as cajoling China, in hopes of encouraging reforms. After initially praising Xi, Trump later took on China head-on and solo, with tariffs and insults, while building a golf-buddy relationship with Suga’s predecessor, Abe.

Biden has taken a different approach, reaching out to allies to try to form united fronts.

China also has taken note of the Biden administration’s support for reviving a loose four-country coalition with Japan, India and Australia, known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad. Biden and Suga on Friday are expected to announce steps through the Quad framework to help India produce COVID-19 vaccines.

Formed initially to coordinate relief efforts after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Quad had faded away for a time in part over concerns that its existence would provoke China, by suggesting the four countries were ganging up against it, noted Tanvi Madan, an expert on India and its relations in the Indo-Pacific at the Brookings Institution.

But “lately, all the things we worried about that China would do if they were provoked, they’re already doing anyway,” Madan said.

Knickmeyer reported from Oklahoma City and Yamaguchi from Tokyo. Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report from Washington.

Support Provided By: Learn more

U.S., China exchange strong words, but both label talks constructive

World Mar 19

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

With French President Macron's state visit, expect a mix of diplomacy and glamour

Franco Ordoñez

American and French flags are in place on the Old Executive Office Building on the White House campus on Tuesday in Washington in advance of the state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption

American and French flags are in place on the Old Executive Office Building on the White House campus on Tuesday in Washington in advance of the state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron.

President Biden is hosting his first state dinner at the White House Thursday for French President Emmanuel Macron, a return to some of the more ceremonial diplomatic activities that were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The White House says the visit by Macron and his wife, Brigitte, will underscore the deep relationship with the United States' oldest ally.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said France is not only the United State's oldest ally, but a "vital global partner" on a number of critical issues.

"If you look at what's going on in Ukraine, look at what's going on in the Indo-Pacific and the tensions with China, France is really at the center of all those things," Kirby said. "And so the president felt that this was exactly the right and the most appropriate country to start with for state visits."

A state visit is one of the most glamourous events held at the White House. It includes an elaborate arrival ceremony, press conference between the two leaders and a black-tie dinner, which this year will feature a performance by Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste.

The Macrons arrived Tuesday night for the three-day visit that also includes a stop at NASA headquarters with Vice President Harris and lunch at the State Department.

During their stay, Macron and his wife will sleep at the historic Blair House, across the street from the White House.

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris speak during a meeting to highlight space cooperation between the two countries at NASA headquarters in Washington, on Wednesday. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris speak during a meeting to highlight space cooperation between the two countries at NASA headquarters in Washington, on Wednesday.

As a signal of France's importance, Macron is actually returning for his second state visit. He was also the first guest of former President Donald Trump's at a state dinner.

Macron has become a critical ear for Biden on the other side of the Atlantic

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has retired and the Britain's Boris Johnson resigned, which has left the 44-year-old Macron, even though he's young, as one of the most experienced European leaders.

First Trump State Dinner Brings Billionaires And Administration Officials

"France has jumped to the head of the queue," said Charles Kupchan, who was a senior adviser on European issues in the Obama White House. "America's go-to partner used to be the United Kingdom, but the U.K. has left the European Union and has been tied up in political knots."

It also symbolizes the recovery of a key relationship that deteriorated over a submarine deal with Australia last year that infuriated France.

The two teams say they're looking forward and focused on the most urgent global issues, including Russia's war in Ukraine and the challenges posed by China and Iran.

The leaders are also expected to discuss the climate, energy issues and economic cooperation.

Biden admits to France's leader that a contentious defense deal was handled poorly

But the visit is not without its fair share of challenges.

While there are lingering issues of trust in the defense sector following the submarine fiasco, the war in Ukraine has put those issues in perspective, said Célia Belin, a former policy adviser in the French foreign ministry.

"The war has reminded everybody of what is really at stake," said Belin, who is now a Paris-based fellow for the Brookings Institution. "And what's most important is transatlantic solidarity."

But she said the war hasn't erased all the other challenges the two country's face.

One of the big ones is France's concerns about Biden's climate and infrastructure bill.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes President Biden before their meeting at the French Embassy to the Vatican in Rome on Oct. 29, 2021. Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes President Biden before their meeting at the French Embassy to the Vatican in Rome on Oct. 29, 2021.

French officials have raised concerns about Biden's "Made in America" electric car provisions , which French leaders say could put European car makers at a disadvantage. And Macron has warned Europe may have to take action in response, including granting subsidies for European companies.

Martin Quencez, the deputy director of the German Marshall Fund's Paris office, says if the Biden administration is as committed as it says it is to the alliance around the world, then it needs to take into consideration the effects of its domestic politics policies on the same allies.

"The economic measures that are taken by the Biden administration makes perfect sense from a domestic American perspective," Quencez said. "But if it has damaging effects for like this has to be discussed and this is something to be reconciled by the Biden administration, you want stronger allies. You can't actually harm them by imposing this in a unilateral way."

Watch CBS News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is finally getting his White House visit

By Kathryn Watson

July 21, 2021 / 2:23 PM EDT / CBS News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is, finally, getting a visit to the White House. The foreign leader whose conversation with former President Trump sparked the ex-president's first impeachment inquiry will meet with President Biden at the White House on August 30. 

"President Biden looks forward to welcoming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to the White House on August 30, 2021," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. "The visit will affirm the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea, our close cooperation on energy security, and our backing for President Zelenskyy's efforts to tackle corruption and implement a reform agenda based on our shared democratic values."

Mr. Biden, who has spoken with Zelenskyy since becoming president, has asserted the United States' "unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression." A conflict between Russian-backed separatists and Ukraine's army has been ongoing since 2014. 

CBS News correspondent Holly Williams joined up with the Ukrainian military and Zelenskyy last month in eastern Ukraine, where the war has cost more than 13,000 lives. Zelenskyy warned of Russia's aggression. Asked why Americans far away should care about what's happening in Ukraine, Zelenskyy warned that his country's conflict with Russia, " can be tomorrow in their houses ."

The meeting with Zelenskyy comes after Mr. Biden held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month in Ukraine . Then, Mr. Biden told reporters that Putin "knows I will take action" in working to stop Russia from engaging in malign activities like interfering in U.S. elections, engaging in hacking attacks, like those targeting  SolarWinds and ransomware attacks on U.S. companies. 

Ukraine and Zelenskyy became a focal point in Mr. Trump's first impeachment inquiry in 2019 . That first House impeachment inquiry centered around a July 25, 2019 phone call Mr. Trump held with Zelenskyy in which he urged the Ukrainian leader to investigate Mr. Biden and Hunter Biden. Mr. Trump was impeached by the House along partisan lines, but failed to receive enough votes to be convicted in the Senate. 

Zelenskyy has long made his desire for a White House meeting clear, something that came up in the impeachment inquiry. 

• White House
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.

More from CBS News

Biden honors fallen U.S. troops on Memorial Day

What happens if Trump is convicted in New York? No one can really say

Libertarians pick Chase Oliver as presidential nominee, rejecting Trump, RFK Jr.

Remembering U.S. Army veteran Ashley White on Memorial Day

We’re sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments. Exception: request blocked

clock This article was published more than  3 years ago

Biden hosts Japan’s Suga as first foreign leader at the White House

President Biden was making a point as he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the White House on Friday, using the first in-person visit by a foreign leader to emphasize that his administration sees Asia as its highest priority.

The coveted first invitation was intended to reward a strategic ally who was buffeted by transactional and sometimes capricious treatment under President Donald Trump, and to send a signal to China that Biden plans to firm up America’s Asian alliances. Biden plans to follow up with an invitation to South Korean President Moon Jae-in next month.

“There’s no substitute for face-to-face discussions,” Biden said as he and Suga held a news conference in the Rose Garden, Biden’s first such event.

Calling Suga “Yoshi,” Biden pledged cooperation across a range of issues, including climate change and coronavirus vaccine distribution.

“I affirmed our ironclad support for the U.S.-Japanese alliance and for our shared security,” Biden said. “We committed to working together to take on the challenges from China and on issues like the East China Sea, the South China Sea, as well as North Korea, to ensure a future of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Biden said.

The contrast with China was also plain a few moments later, when Biden spoke of “shared values, including human rights and the rule of law.”

“We’re going to work together to prove that democracies can still compete and win in the 21st Century and deliver for our people.”

Suga, too, committed to work together for the goal of a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” which is diplomatic shorthand for countering Chinese threats to navigation and trade and its territorial claims against its neighbors.

“We also had serious talks about China’s influence over the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and the world at large,” Suga said. “We agreed to oppose any attempts to change the status quo by force or conversion in the East and South China Seas,” Suga said.

Biden has already sent his secretaries of state and defense to Japan, the strongest U.S. ally in the Pacific region.

Until now, Biden’s initial meetings with other world leaders have all been conducted via video because of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden has not yet traveled overseas as president.

The meeting is a point of pride for Suga, who took office last year. It comes as Japan is promoting its role as host of the pandemic-delayed Olympic Games this summer, but is facing new questions about whether the Games can be held safely given a resurgence of the coronavirus in Tokyo.

The Games may have to be canceled depending on the pandemic, a senior member of Japan’s ruling party said Thursday. The remarks were the first public admission by the ruling party that cancellation or postponement were under serious consideration.

Japanese official says Olympics may have to be scrapped due to coronavirus

Suga said Friday that Biden had put his stamp of approval on the 2021 Games .

A large contingent of American athletes plans to attend.

Suga met with Vice President Harris ahead of lengthy meetings at the White House capped by the Rose Garden news conference. All sessions had limited attendance because of pandemic restrictions.

Speaking in the State Dining Room, Suga expressed condolences for the mass shooting in Indianapolis overnight and thanked his host.

“Freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law are universal values that link our alliance,” Suga said through an interpreter.

There was no fancy lunch or other meal as a pandemic precaution.

A variety of Chinese actions, including military moves in the South China Sea and perceived threats to Taiwan are on the agenda, along with human rights concerns.

Biden will tread more lightly on questions of China’s economic reach, which includes deep ties to Japanese businesses, U.S. analysts predicted ahead of the meeting.

In turn, they said Suga was unlikely to press Biden very hard about reviving the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, for which administration officials have shown little appetite.

But mostly, the meeting was designed to link arms at a time when China is flexing its own muscles for the new U.S. leader.

“This is not because they like us, we like them. It is the shift in the U.S. priority,” said Kunihiko Miyake, research director at the Canon Institute for Global Studies and a special foreign policy adviser to the Suga cabinet.

The mutual regard is important, but there is a larger goal for the like-minded democracies, he said, adding, “Of course we don’t name any nation, but the rise of a huge country is the reason why.”

Japan’s standoff with China over a disputed island chain has helped shift Japanese public opinion and official policy toward a more confrontational stance, one that the United States now shares, analysts said.

“Japan has always, always been tougher on China — or more vocal in its concerns about China — than the U.S. since the Obama time,” said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo.

Under President Barack Obama, he said, Japanese policymakers pressed their American counterparts to take a harder line against China, “so they were relieved when Trump started to play the game more tough on China.”

Biden is now continuing many of Trump’s get-tough policies on China, including leaving punitive tariffs in place, while increasing criticism of China over human rights issues.

The United States and Japan have held joint military exercises for years focused on preparing for the threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a flourishing democracy that China claims as a province, but Michishita said civilian policymakers have been slower to address the issue.

“China would make a fuss about it when we talk about Taiwan, so we wouldn’t have talked about Taiwan without the U.S. doing the same at the same time,” he said. “Now we are talking about it, because both the U.S. and Japan are interested and committed to the defense of Taiwan.”

Chris Dodd, a former Democratic senator from Connecticut who is friendly with Biden, was among an unusual bipartisan U.S. delegation visiting Taiwan this week. The group was meeting with the Taiwanese president amid concern over frequent Chinese military flights and other threatening activity.

Biden and Suga also discussed Biden’s strategy review on nuclear-armed North Korea, which U.S. officials said is nearly complete. It is expected to turn the page on Trump’s personal diplomatic outreach to leader Kim Jong-Un, who has menaced Japan with missile launches.

North Korea files missiles in challenge to Biden

U.S. officials have praised Japan for condemning the recent military coup in Myanmar, but Biden is expected to question Suga about what more Japan will do. The United States has imposed sanctions on Myanmar over the coup, but Japan has been reluctant to do the same.

“We are not expecting any kind of confrontational tone between them about how we deal with Myanmar,” said a Japanese Foreign Ministry official, who spoke on the condition of customary diplomatic anonymity. “We completely share the same concern because we both want to restore democracy in Myanmar and we desperately want to stop the violence there.”

Obama attempted his own “pivot to Asia” after decades of American diplomatic and military focus on Europe and the Middle East, but the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria and a variety of crises, including Russia’s seizure of Crimea, overwhelmed the effort.

Biden pointed to the need to train U.S. resources on China as one reason for his announcement this week that remaining U.S. forces will leave Afghanistan this year.

“I think one of the reasons why the president and his team have taken the careful steps on Afghanistan is actually to free up time, attention and resources from our senior leadership and our military to focus on what we believe are the fundamental challenges of the 21st century,” a senior Biden administration official said Thursday, speaking on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House. “They lie fundamentally in the Indo-Pacific.”

Denyer reported from Tokyo.

Published daily by the Lowy Institute

Far more world leaders visit China than America

If leadership diplomacy was an Olympic sport, Beijing beats Washington to the gold medal.

• United States

In April, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga became the first foreign leader to meet US President Joe Biden at the White House. Suga’s trip marked the return of leader-level travel to Washington after the Covid-19 pandemic. Suga told reporters that his team was so excited to meet their American counterparts that “we ended up not even touching our hamburger steak.”

During the pandemic, a new dynamic of “ strategic competition ” has crystallized between the United States and China. Both Washington and Beijing are courting supporters for their rival efforts to shape economic, political, and territorial norms. Suga’s trip to the United States, for example, saw Tokyo agree to unusually direct language opposing Chinese “ force and coercion ” in the Indo-Pacific.

However, despite Biden’s early invitation to Suga, the United States trails China significantly in attracting world leaders to its shores. That’s according to a new dataset counting visits to the two countries by foreign heads of state and government from 1990–2019. Records of US travel by world leaders are kept by the US State Department , while travel to China can be tracked through China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the official mouthpiece People’s Daily . The data include visits for multilateral meetings, such as the United Nations General Assembly in New York or a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China, which often incorporate bilateral elements and reflect the United States and China’s overall engagement with global affairs.

These visits matter because they are good proxies for diplomatic priorities. Foreign trips by national leaders require extensive preparation and demand a sizeable allocation of the scarcest political resource: attention. And “face-to-face” visits help the US or Chinese president to build trust and deepen cooperation with counterparts. That more leaders visit China than the United States suggests that Beijing outcompetes Washington on this measure of diplomatic influence.

Beijing is the hot ticket for the world’s politicos. In 2019, the year before Covid-19 halted most travel, 79 foreign leaders visited China, while only 27 called on the United States. More world leaders have visited China than the United States in every year since 2013, a sharp turnaround from the American dominance of the early post-Cold War era.

During the presidencies of George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, when the United States was the sole superpower, there were an average of 65.8 and 60.5 visits by world leaders each year, respectively. That number jumped to 71.8 for George W. Bush, as Washington waged a “global war on terror”, more than three times the figure for China’s president at the turn of the century, Jiang Zemin. Yet, as China’s economy took off after its accession to the World Trade Organisation in 2001, world leader visits to China doubled under Jiang’s successor Hu Jintao.

A few more White House invitations for leaders in Africa, Asia, and South America would certainly help.

Visits to the United States declined in Barack Obama’s administration, as financial crisis, so-called “forever wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan, and domestic divisions sapped the appeal of US leadership. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping, who became China’s president in 2013, pushed an activist foreign policy that supercharged Beijing’s economic diplomacy and saw an average of almost 87 world leaders visit China each year.

China’s lead widened dramatically under Donald Trump, whose “America First” philosophy neglected diplomacy and alienated allies. From 2017 to 2019, Trump received less than one-third as many visits by world leaders as did Xi, with 82 trips to the United States, compared to a whopping 272 to China. The United States had never been less popular.

Where do these leaders come from? Analysing the data by region reveals a sea change in international diplomacy over the past three decades. In the 1990s, national leaders from every region visited the United States far more than they did China. The United States remained the more attractive destination during the 2000s, although leaders from Asia and Oceania, two regions increasingly drawn into China’s economic orbit, began to visit there more often.

Then travel to China exploded. In the 2010s, compared to the United States, China received more than triple the number of visits by Asian and Oceanian leaders, more than double the number by African leaders, and almost double the number by Eastern European leaders. Even leaders from North and South America, the US’s diplomatic backyard, slightly preferred China. Only Middle Eastern and Western European leaders made more trips to the United States.

Notably, in the last decade, the leaders of many US allies and partners visited China more often than the United States, including those of South Korea, Germany, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and New Zealand. French leaders visited both countries equally often, while Japan was the only Asian country whose leaders visited the United States more than China. British, Italian, and Australian leaders also prioritised the United States, but by narrowing margins.

Countries whose leaders made the most visits to the US and China, 2010⁠–⁠19

More travel by world leaders to China is both a symptom of the country’s growing power and one of its causes. The need for countries to build commercial ties with China, where the government holds sway in many sectors, surely requires extra diplomatic legwork. Yet China’s economy was 30 per cent smaller than the US economy in 2019, while China attracted almost double the visits by world leaders, suggesting that business alone does not explain this gap.

Beijing recognizes that attention and effort can go a long way in diplomacy, and that leader visits tend to produce more bilateral agreements, investment and aid. A country has no more influential a diplomat than its leader, and every visit by a foreign leader to China provides a unique opportunity for Xi Jinping to advance Beijing’s foreign policy goals.

Xi also devotes significant attention to boosting China’s international convening power.

That’s also one reason why Xi has multiplied the budget , expanded the consular footprint and bolstered the political clout of his Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This investment in diplomacy helps Xi convince other leaders to visit China, to back Beijing’s positions in global affairs, and to join Chinese initiatives, such as Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a sprawling infrastructure development strategy.

Xi also devotes significant attention to boosting China’s international convening power. Regular meetings of the BRI Forum, China International Import Expo, and Forum on China-Africa Cooperation draw dozens of world leaders. And especially from developing countries who want to emulate China’s growth and whom China leans on for numbers in one-country, one-vote institutions such as the United Nations General Assembly.

Beijing’s engagement of the developing world is a key element of its response to Joe Biden’s attempt to build economic blocs, supply chains, and other multilateral groupings that contest Chinese influence. As such, if Biden wants to fulfill his pledge to “ renew American leadership ” in the world, he’ll need to sustain and expand his nascent revival of US diplomacy. World leaders from Japan, South Korea, Germany, Israel, Ukraine, Jordan, and Afghanistan have already visited Biden, while none have been to Beijing since before the pandemic. A few more White House invitations for leaders in Africa, Asia, and South America would certainly help.

Related Content

Will the Trans-Pacific Partnership be a good deal for Australia?

You may also be interested in, china-us trade war: for all the bark, not much bite, aid and development links: dfat bureaucracy, islamic finance, americans in poverty, and more, winding back the china solution.

What can we help you find?

While we certainly appreciate historical preservation, it looks like your browser is a bit too historic to properly view whitehousehistory.org. — a browser upgrade should do the trick.

Main Content

Significant Foreign Visitors

Copyright © White House Historical Association. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this article may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for reprint permissions should be addressed to [email protected]

• 1825: The Marquis de Lafayette was one of the first notable international guests of the White House. President John Quincy Adams honored the hero of the American and French Revolutions with a party on the Marquis de Lafayette's 68th birthday. The square across Pennsylvania Avenue would later be named to commemorate Lafayette.
• 1860: President James Buchanan hosted the first envoys from Imperial Japan. Two royal princes and a dozen noblemen came with many servants. They carried a box containing a commercial treaty that would be exchanged for similar documents from the United States.
• 1874: The first ruling king to visit the White House was King David Kalakaua of the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii). President Ulysses S. Grant hosted him. Royal food testers sampled the White House dinner for the king.
• 1939: The king and queen of England came to Washington, D.C., and stayed one night at the White House. It was the first trip to the United States by a British monarch.
• 1941: Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived secretly at the White House just before Christmas. During his 24-day stay the staff had to adjust to his eccentricities. Chief Usher J.B. West recalled, "We got used to his 'jumpsuit,' the extraordinary one-piece uniform he wore every day, but the servants never quite got over seeing him naked in his room when they'd go up to serve brandy. It was the jumpsuit or nothing. In his room, Mr. Churchill wore no clothes at all most of the time during the day."
• 1945: Charles de Gaulle met with Harry Truman at the White House.
• 1978: Jimmy Carter brought President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel to the White House to sign an historic peace treaty between the two nations.
• 1979: The first Pope to visit the White House was Pope John Paul II, who came during the Carter presidency.
• 1987: President Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate Nuclear Force (INF) Treaty, the first arms control agreement in history that reduced the number of nuclear weapons held by both countries, in the East Room.
• 1993: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat celebrated the signing of an historic peace treaty by their representatives on September 13. President Clinton, numerous dignataries, and 3,000 visitors joined the event on the South Lawn of the White House.

President Roosevelt hosts Prime Minister Churchill at a White House war conference, 1943.

Show Me More

You Might Also Like

State Dinners

A State Dinner honoring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is one of the grandest and most glamorous of White House affairs. It is part of an official State Visit and provides the president and first lady the opportunity to honor the visiting head of state and his or her spouse. In this collection, explore the history of

Dining in the Executive Mansion

A dinner at the White House has always had significance beyond the gastronomical delights. The elegance of the State Dining Room and the intimacy of the Family Dining Room set the stage for the politics and diplomacy that takes place between courses. In this collection, learn how the style of each room has evolved with its purpose, and how the

Marian Anderson Performs at the White House

One of the most memorable performances in White House history was Marian Anderson’s rendition of Schubert’s "Ave Maria" as the culmination of a gala "Evening of American Music" presented by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1939. The entertainment was planned for a state visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England. Anderson’s powerful voice soared that evenin

Booker T. Washington Visits the White House

Theodore Roosevelt became president after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. The early months of his administration were a tense period of trial and error as Roosevelt had not been elected president. Fond of dinners as a means of entertaining, the Roosevelts held them nearly every night over the last few months of 1901 and constructed the guest lists with

The Butler's Role at a State Dinner with Royal Visitors

Prior to the 1939 visit of the queen and king of England, Eleanor Roosevelt received a State Department memorandum, listing various rules of protocol. Mrs. Roosevelt became concerned about the order in which the Roosevelts, and the queen and king, should be served at the state dinner honoring the royal couple.1"I told Franklin," Mrs. Roosevelt recalled, "that British protocol required

Artists Perform for the President

The abundance of fine artists who performed during the Theodore Roosevelt era continued to appear during succeeding administrations, and President and Mrs. William Howard Taft and the Woodrow Wilsons molded the popular White House musicale into a well-established tradition. Beginning with the Roosevelts and continuing through the Eisenhowers, Steinway & Sons assisted the First Lady with the selection of the

Papal Visits to the White House

Papal visits to the White House have been rare—with Pope Francis' recent visit, just three popes in history have visited 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This most recent visit provides an opportunity to look back at the pontiffs who have visited the President’s House. On October 6, 1979, Pope John Paul II arrived in an open-topped limousine, driving through the Northwest gate as he w

History of China State Visits to the White House

On January 29, 1979, President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter received Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping and his wife, Madame Zhuo Lin, for an official visit to Washington D.C. The occasion marked the highest-ranking Chinese visitor to the White House since Madame Chiang Kai-shek visited in 1943.

Frank Sinatra Sings at the White House

Throughout his legendary music career, Frank Sinatra performed several times at the White House. On April 17, 1973, Sinatra performed at a State Dinner for Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti of Italy. President Nixon introduced Sinatra as “a man whose parents were born in Italy but yet from humble beginnings went to the very top in entertainment.” The singer was so stirred by the

The President of the United States Meets the King of Rock ’n' Roll

Today, one of the most requested photographs from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) shows President Richard Nixon shaking hands with Elvis Presley in the Oval Office. Although the photograph is iconic, the story behind this impromptu historic meeting is even more remarkable.

Khrushchev Goes to Washington

In September 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower invited Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to the United States for an official State Visit. Eisenhower’s invitation marked a historic moment: the first time a Soviet head of state received an invitation to the White House. This event marked an opportunity for each leader to learn about their counterpart while sharing their country’s imme

A Kinder Quiet Sense of Humor

Will Rogers is one of the most beloved American celebrities of the twentieth century. Born in 1879 in Oklahoma, Rogers was a true Renaissance man of the era. Best known for his political satire which reached millions of readers through his syndicated newspaper columns, Rogers also acted in vaudeville and starred in film and on radio. The American public loved his

Kenyan president's visit: A snub, a state dinner and a major 'non-NATO' ally designation

Lawmaker calls it an 'affront to american diplomacy' for house speaker mike johnson to not invite president william ruto to give an address to a joint session of congress.

WASHINGTON — What's on the menu at the White House for visiting Kenyan President William Ruto: Smoked short ribs and buttered lobster. What's not on the menu: An invitation for the African leader to address a joint session of Congress.

That missing course has left many lawmakers fuming.

Even as President Joe Biden gets ready to treat Ruto and his wife, Rachel, to a sumptuous state dinner Thursday night, some fear the absence of an honor that has been accorded to all recent visiting heads of state could leave a bitter aftertaste.

Many prominent lawmakers are upset over House Speaker Mike Johnson's rejection of a joint meeting of Congress with Ruto, which was proposed by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to "underscore the importance of the U.S-Kenya relationship." His office cited "scheduling" issues for the denial.

Ruto’s trip is the first state visit by a Kenyan president to the United States in two decades and the first by an African leader since 2008. The last African leader to address Congress was Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who spoke in the House chamber in 2006.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

'Affront to American diplomacy'

In a letter to Johnson, Rep. Steven Horsford, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, called the move an "affront to American diplomacy," adding that it was "especially troubling" given that other heads of state who have come to the U.S. for an official visit during the 118 th Congress have been invited to address Congress.

The letter, signed by more than 60 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, demanded that Ruto be "treated with the same respect granted to other heads of state."

Recent heads of state including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kashida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol have all addressed the joint session of Congress.

"Failing to invite President Ruto sends a dangerous message to the world," Horsford wrote. "About which countries the United States Congress deems worthy of addressing Congress and diminishes the importance of our nation’s relationship with the continent of Africa."

Lawmakers warn 'adversaries' are working to dent U.S. alliances

Asked about his decision, Johnson’s office sent a statement to USA TODAY saying "scheduling restraints" were the reason for the lack of invitation.

“We offered the Kenyan embassy over 90 minutes of engagement including a one-on-one visit with Speaker Johnson, bipartisan leadership meeting with Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, and Committee Chairmen and Ranking Members, and a bicameral meeting,” the statement said of the meeting that took place on Wednesday.

Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee, along with other lawmakers, also wrote to Johnson pointing out how "adversaries" like China, Russia, and Iran were working to subvert America’s alliances, particularly in Africa.

The East African nation, which is getting ready to deploy its police force in Haiti as the Caribbean country deals with the ongoing gang crisis, is emerging as a vital African partner to the U.S. Johnson’s choice not to provide Ruto the opportunity to address Congress helps create an opening for autocratic adversaries to make inroads in African public opinion, lawmakers warned, adding: "The people of Kenya deserve more respect."

Ruto’s visit marks 60 years of official U.S.-Kenya partnership “founded on shared values, deep cooperation, and a common vision for the future,” according to the White House. Biden is also expected to inform Congress on Thursday that he intends to designate Kenya as a major “non-NATO Ally." It's a designation granted by the United States to countries with close and strategic working relationships with the U.S. military and defense civilians.

Among other partnerships the two countries will work on include global peace and security, economic development, human rights, and tackling the climate crisis.

The state dinner, a glamorous diplomatic tool, will set the stage for a “friendship that will endure, helping create a shining and prosperous tomorrow,” said first lady Jill Biden.

Roses and orchids

On Thursday night, guests will dine under the stars, in a pavilion made of glass and glowing with candles.

The décor for the evening reflects the first lady's love of candlelight which she favors to make guests feel as if they're at home, even when they're part of a large group, said Bryan Rafanelli, the event planner for the evening.

The space, saturated with warm pinks and reds, will be decorated with roses and orchids representing the United States and Kenya.

"As guests leave their path illuminated by our one moon," said Biden. "I hope they will be filled with the same warmth that I felt on my visits to Kenya.”

S wapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY.   You can follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @SwapnaVenugopal

An Inside Look at the First State Visit of the Trump Presidency

April 23, 2018

6 minute read

When King David Kalakaua of the Kingdom of Hawaii visited Washington, D.C., in 1874, there was no guide for how President Ulysses S. Grant should welcome him. The White House had never hosted a foreign head of state—Hawaii would not be annexed by the United States until 1898—largely because travel overseas during the 18th and 19th centuries was long and hazardous.

No matter how the visit went, King Kalakaua’s trip would set a precedent.

The result was America’s first State Dinner with a foreign head of state, an intimate but elaborate meal consisting of more than 20 courses and 36 guests. The President, Vice President, and a host of other U.S. dignitaries were in attendance.

The reason for King Kalakaua’s visit and the primary topic of discussion? A trade deal.

America continued this tradition on April 24, 2018 , when President Donald J. Trump hosted the first official State Visit of his Presidency. He was joined at the White House by French President Emmanuel Macron. While President Trump has hosted numerous foreign leaders in Washington from all over the world, the April 2018 France visit marked the first ceremonial State Visit of the Administration.

One reason that official State Visits are rare is because they require ample time for planning and preparation. Everything from the 21-gun salute at the arrival ceremony to the seating arrangement at the dinner is meticulously coordinated. The formality of State Visits is both a way to honor the leaders of foreign countries and to pay homage to America’s own distinctive customs.

Today, State Visits include similar welcomes and dinners as to what King Kalakaua experienced, but the formal event has been refined and follows the traditions that were established in the 1950s and 1960s.

Most State guests today arrive in Washington, D.C., the day before their official arrival; they are then driven to the White House South Portico the morning of the ceremony. One of the U.S. Military bands plays the visiting country’s national anthem, followed by the American national anthem, and then the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps performs a march. Each leader gives a public welcome statement.

Often, a formal working luncheon is planned at the State Department for the visiting delegation. If no such lunch takes place, the President and First Lady will often host a small, private lunch at the White House instead.

The crown jewel of the visit is the State Dinner. The President and First Lady greet the visiting head of state and his or her spouse at the White House North Portico before leading them upstairs to the Yellow Oval Room. Upstairs, they often tour historic rooms in the private residence. Other guests enter through the East Wing to the State Floor, awaiting the guests of honor’s entrance down the Grand Staircase. The hosts and guests of honor greet the attendees, and the President and First Lady escort their visitors to the State Dining Room. Larger dinners may be held in the Rose Garden or in the East Room of the White House.

The pomp and circumstance of State Dinners has always drawn public intrigue. The press was so curious about the details of State Dinners in the 1960s, for example, that President Lyndon B. Johnson had an electronic system installed so reporters could listen in to what was happening inside. Today, for greater transparency, cameras record the speeches that the President and his guest give.

The meal itself is a large production that is planned as much as two to four months in advance. Often the First Lady will hold a pre-visit tasting with her staff, occasionally including the President. The Reagans would taste meals 7 to 10 days before their guests arrived. White House chefs often combine American specialties with the visiting country’s own flavors for a unique experience.

State Visits are large ceremonial affairs, as is appropriate to show respect to the visiting leader. The end goal of any such occasion, however, is practical: The President and visiting head of state meet together for working sessions throughout the trip.

Just as negotiating for better trade deals drove King Kalakaua to the White House nearly a century and a half ago, trade was also high on the menu when President Trump hosted President Macron in Washington.

What is a state dinner and why do we have them?

State dinners are typically carried out in black-tie formal attire, with official speeches and toasts, elaborate food and notable celebrity guests. but how do they help diplomatic relations, by maggie more • published may 23, 2024 • updated on may 23, 2024 at 5:28 pm.

For the first time since 2008, the United States is honoring an African nation with a state visit: Kenya.

The 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries arrives as roughly 1,000 Kenyan police officers are set to arrive in Haiti as part of a multilateral security support mission that aims to help quell gang violence, the Associated Press reports.

Stream News4 now: Watch NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now.

Those topics and others of diplomatic importance will be discussed in a White House meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Kenyan President William Ruto . Then, following the tough policy talks, both nations will kick back and celebrate with a state dinner.

But what actually happens at a state dinner and what's the reason for all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding them?

We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.

What is a state dinner?

Nowadays, the term "state dinner" is used exclusively to refer to dinners hosted by the White House in honor of foreign heads of state when they visit the U.S. -- and they're huge diplomatic events.

But state dinners are a tradition going back to the early 1800s, when the term used to refer to any large dinner honoring federal government officials or foreign dignitaries, according to the White House Historical Association .

By the late 1800s, it referred to an annual winter event held to honor Congress, the Supreme Court and diplomats. In 1874, King Kalakaua of Hawaii became the first ruling monarch to attend one such dinner, according to the WHHA.

State dinners remain a big deal to this day.

Washington Post Style reporter and columnist Roxanne Roberts has seen her fair share of state dinners.

"A state dinner is a way for a nation to acknowledge an ally," Roberts told News4. "It's a way of making a very formal proclamation of friendship."

It can be in honor of an international ally that the U.S. has had for many years, or it can be to reward an emerging democracy, Roberts said. But in both cases, it's a way of honoring a friend.

@nbcwashington News4’s @eun.yang has some very exciting Wednesday night plans. But what’s behind all the pomp and circumstance of a state dinner? We talked to the Washington Post’s Roxanne Roberts to find out. #southkorea #unitedstates #statedinner #diplomacy #edwardlee #internationalrelations #washingtondc #dctok #dmv #dmvnews ♬ original sound - NBC Washington

"The emphasis should be not on the dinner party, but the symbolism of ... the United States is saying to all of Korea, 'We want to honor you,'" Roberts said ahead of the state dinner held for the Republic of Korea. "'We want to show you that we think that you're important. We want to showcase and give you the best that we have to offer.' Which is why the traditional hospitality is always a meal."

State dinners are typically carried out in black-tie formal attire, with official speeches and toasts, elaborate food, and notable celebrity guests.

"A state dinner honoring a visiting head of government or reigning monarch is one of the grandest and most glamorous of White House affairs," according to the WHHA's website .

It also serves as a more festive setting than, say, Congress or an embassy, for conversations about "the important business of government," the WHHA says.

"Information is gathered, opinions are exchanged, powerful connections are made, and appearances are upheld," the WHHA says. "For these reasons, White House invitations are the most important and the most sought after in the nation's social whirl."

Cherry blossoms, Paul Simon will be featured at the White House state dinner for Japan

The White House state dinner with India's PM Narendra Modi is a historic event. Here's why

Biden White House Set to Hold State Dinner Honoring South Korean President, First Lady

What happens at state dinners.

To achieve the White House's overarching diplomatic goals, state dinners usually feature toasts, top-tier entertainment and food, and elaborate table settings and decorations.

"It's a way of highlighting American food and culture, because there's always entertainment afterward," Roberts said.

The evening also begins with music. The United States Marine Band is "a longtime fixture of state dinners and official White House events," according to the WHHA , and typically plays "Hail to the Chief" for the grand entrance of the president and first lady. The band also typically plays the anthem of the visiting nation or nations when their leaders enter.

After the president of the United States receives the guests, the group goes to the State Dining Room -- or whichever dining room is set up for the event. Depending on the number of guests and the time of year, the dinner may even take place outside on White House grounds, according to the WHHA.

In prepared remarks, First Lady Jill Biden said Thursday night's event will be "an elegant dinner under the stars, in a pavilion made almost entirely of glass, looking up at our one sky."

Decorations

Like other state dinners before it, the place settings and decorations will be inspired by the visiting nation and the purpose of its leaders' visit, as seen by White House pool reporters during a media preview of the decor on Wednesday afternoon.

The decorations are often highly symbolic.

On Thursday, "guests will be brought together over the glow of candles, in a space saturated with warm pinks and reds," Jill Biden said in prepared remarks for the Kenya state dinner's media preview event.

The setting for the dinner often aims "to showcase the harmony of our cultures and our people intertwined," as Jill Biden told reporters at the preview event for the South Korean state dinner.

Once they arrive in the dining room and the dinner begins, each nation's leader will offer a toast, according to the WHHA. The toasts often include "personal or historic stories, but also reflect how well the state visit and diplomatic talks have gone."

Then, guests finally get to eat.

One of the most-anticipated parts of any state dinner is the menu. Like everything else, the menu is selected with diplomacy in mind, meaning the food is often influenced by the culture and cuisine of the visiting country.

"When Jacqueline Kennedy was first lady, they served French wines, because those were the best wines," Roberts said. "And then American vineyards were like, hey, wait a minute, what about us?"

"Since then, pretty much, it's all been the very best that America has to offer," Roberts said

On Wednesday, the White House shared details about that menu at a media preview for the Kenya state dinner. The mouth-watering surf-and-turf options include heirloom tomato soup, fruitwood-smoked beef, and banana ganache. Take a look:

First Course

• Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup
• Sourdough Crisps
• Arbequina Olive Oil

Main Course   

• Fruitwood-smoked Beef Short Ribs
• Butter-poached Lobster
• Citrus Butter
• Baby Kale, Sweet Corn Purée
• White Chocolate Basket
• Banana Ganache
• Raspberries, Peaches, Candied Lime Zest
• Hartford Court Chardonnay “Four Hearts Vineyard” 2021
• St. Innocent Pinot Noir “Shea Vineyard” 2019
• Iron Horse Classic Vintage Brut 2020

Entertainment

Dinner is typically followed by "performances of some kind," according to the WHHA. For the South Korean state dinner, for example, three Broadway stars performed, to showcase "a quintessentially American art form" on "the world stage," the White House said.

Those performers included Norm Lewis , Jessica Vosk , and Lea Salonga .

For the Kenya state dinner, the performances are meant to "honor President and First Lady Ruto’s love of Gospel and Country music" and will feature "the amazing Howard Gospel Choir and the incredible Brad Paisley ."

Who's in attendance at Wednesday's state dinner for Kenya?

In the past, the White House has released a complete guest list for state dinners the day before or the morning of the event. As of this writing, no guest list has been released for Thursday.

But there are a few known invitees. The headliners are the hosts, President Biden and the first lady, and the guests of honor, Kenyan President William Ruto and his wife, First Lady Rachel Ruto.

This article tagged under:

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Kenyan President’s State Visit: An Antidote to U.S. Troubles in Africa?

The White House is hosting President William Ruto of Kenya for a state dinner this week, an embrace that both countries urgently need.

By Declan Walsh

Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya

As other African nations move away from the United States, disillusioned with democracy or lured by rival powers, President William Ruto of Kenya arrives in Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit intended to showcase a stalwart American ally on the continent.

A spate of military coups , shaky elections and raging wars have upended Africa’s political landscape in the past year, giving an edge to American rivals like Russia and China, but also shredding Washington’s key selling point: that democracy delivers.

In Niger, a recently installed military junta has asked American troops to leave . Relations with once-firm American allies like South Africa and Ethiopia are decidedly cool. A recent election in Senegal , long considered a beacon of stability, nearly went off the rails .

Mr. Ruto, the Biden administration hopes, is the antidote to those troubles.

Since he came to power two years ago, Mr. Ruto, 57, has pulled Kenya, the economic powerhouse of East Africa, ever closer to the United States. His visit is just the sixth state visit hosted by the Biden administration, and the first for an African president since 2008.

In some respects, President Biden is atoning for a broken promise. At a high profile Africa summit in Washington in December 2022, Mr. Biden declared he was “all in” on Africa, and pledged to make a visit to the continent in the following year. The trip never materialized.

In choosing Mr. Ruto, the Biden administration is confirming that it views the Kenyan leader as one of its closest security, diplomatic and economic partners in Africa.

The two countries cooperate closely to fight militants with Al Shabab in Somalia. American corporate giants like Google have sizable operations in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, which is also a hub of diplomatic efforts to end the chaos in neighboring countries like Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Very soon, Kenya is expected to start deploying 1,000 paramilitary police officers to help quell unrest Haiti — a dangerous mission largely funded by the United States and one which runs significant political risks for Mr. Ruto if Kenyan personnel are injured or killed.

And Mr. Ruto has adroitly garnered American support for his outspoken advocacy on global issues like debt relief, reform of international financial institutions and climate change, on which he is attempting to carve out a reputation as Africa’s leading statesman.

“We live the nightmare of climate change every day,” he said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday, hours before he flew to the United States. Nearly 300 Kenyans died in the past month as heavy rains lashed the country , causing floods that forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

“A year ago we were deep in drought,” he said during the interview, speaking in an open pavilion next to State House, his official residence in Nairobi, as thunder rolled and more rain fell. “This is the case of many countries on the continent.”

It’s not many years since Mr. Ruto was considered part of the problem in Kenya. A decade ago he was on trial at the International Criminal Court , facing accusations of orchestrating post-election violence that left over 1,100 Kenyans dead. At the trial, his lawyer was Karim Khan, currently the court’s prosecutor. The United States backed the prosecution, seeing it as a chance to end impunity in Kenya’s political class.

But the trial collapsed in 2016, after witnesses disappeared or changed their testimony, and Mr. Ruto’s electoral triumphs eclipsed the trial at home: He was elected vice-president in 2013 and 2018, and then president in 2022.

“So much was said about who we were in that episode,” he said, referring also to former President Uhuru Kenyatta who faced similar charges. “But doesn’t it strike you that finally we were elected by the same people we were being accused of harming? That tells you the whole narrative was false.”

An American official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said that Mr. Ruto had been privately urged to confront indirectly what was described as his “I.C.C. hangover” early into his visit. At his first speech on Monday, at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum and Library in Atlanta, he vowed to keep Kenya “on the path of an open society, strongly committed to greater accountability and transparency, with robust engagement of civil society.”

Mr. Ruto also needs the trip to succeed. As he has made about 50 foreign trips since 2022, gathering support for his ideas, his popularity at home has plunged. Faced with a crippling debt crisis — Kenya owes about $77 billion — Mr. Ruto introduced tax hikes that brought cries of protest from his citizens.

Some Kenyans call him “Zakayo,” in reference to the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus. The reference makes him smile. “I have been very candid with the people of Kenya that I cannot continue to borrow money,” he said, predicting he would eventually win over his critics.

Still, time is running short, and Mr. Ruto’s big idea for turning around the economy is to ride the wave of green energy. Over 90 percent of Kenya’s energy comes from renewable sources — mostly wind and geothermal springs — a natural advantage Mr. Ruto hopes to leverage to convert Kenya into an industrial powerhouse.

He wants foreign companies to move to Kenya, where their products would be carbon neutral. He is also selling Kenya as an enormous carbon sink, tapping into the nascent industry of sucking carbon from the atmosphere, then burying it deep in the rock formations of the Rift Valley.

“ How do we move Africa from a continent of potential to a continent of opportunity and finally to a continent of investment?” he said. Last month, Microsoft and two other firms announced they were building a 1 gigawatt data center, powered by renewable energy in Naivasha, 40 miles northwest of Nairobi.

Still, Mr. Ruto’s embrace of Washington and democracy are not universally popular in Africa. Disillusionment with sham elections and corrupt elites has fed young people’s support for recent military coups in countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

“There is a perception that democracy hasn’t delivered, that elites which had come to power through elections were not delivering,” said Murithi Mutiga, Africa director at International Crisis Group. Yet, he added, Kenya’s example of stability and steady growth proved that while democracy can be “messy, difficult, noisy and tough,” it still works.

Mr. Ruto is scheduled to spend much of Wednesday with members of Congress. On Thursday he lays a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery before meetings with Mr. Biden and a state dinner at the White House. The pomp and prestige is a major prize for a first-term president who, critics charge, has a strong authoritarian streak.

Last year Mr. Ruto launched public attacks on judges whose rulings obstructed his policies, reviving fears he could eventually take Kenya down an authoritarian route.

And like other African leaders, he is not afraid to play the field of foreign suitors.

Last year, to American dismay, Mr. Ruto hosted President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran, who was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, and foreign minister Sergei V. Lavrov of Russia. In October, Mr. Ruto flew to Beijing for a three-day state visit to China.

Mr. Ruto dismissed the suggestion that he is a darling of the West, or anyone else.

“This is not about taking sides,” he said. “It’s about interests. There’s absolutely no contradiction to working with different countries. It’s just common sense.”

  More about Declan Walsh

• My View My View
• Following Following
• Saved Saved

US House leader moves toward inviting Netanyahu to address Congress

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Makini Brice; editing by Don Durfee and Jonathan Oatis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Patricia Zengerle has reported from more than 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China. An award-winning Washington-based national security and foreign policy reporter who also has worked as an editor, Patricia has appeared on NPR, C-Span and other programs, spoken at the National Press Club and attended the Hoover Institution Media Roundtable. She is a recipient of the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.

World Chevron

Poland should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, says foreign minister

Poland should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in comments published on Tuesday, as Kyiv struggles to repel Russian advances, but Sikorski did not specify what role Polish troops would play.

Mobile Menu Overlay

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

Visit The White House

The President and Dr. Biden are delighted to welcome members of the public to tour the White House. Public tour requests are scheduled through your Member of Congress and their Congressional Tour Coordinator. Constituents may reach your Member of Congress and Congressional Tour Coordinator through the U.S. House of Representatives Switchboard at 202-225-3121, the U.S. Senate Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or online at  www.congress.gov/members .

Consistent with prior practices, public White House tour requests must be submitted a minimum of 21 days in advance and no more than 90 days in advance of the requested tour date(s). Reservations cannot be accepted for tour dates outside this 21 – 90-day window.  

Public tours are typically available from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, excluding Federal holidays or unless otherwise noted. If your tour is confirmed, please note that you will be assigned a specific time.  All White House tours are free of charge. The White House tour schedule is subject to change, with little notice, based on inclement weather or official use.

If you are a citizen of a foreign country, please contact your embassy in Washington, D.C. for assistance in submitting a tour request.

Identification Requirements

All U.S. citizens ages 18 and older, and foreign nationals of all ages (including children), must present a valid, government-issued photo ID upon arrival for their tour. Acceptable forms of identification are below.

U.S. CITIZENS

• United States Driver’s License
• Valid United States Passport
• United States Military ID

FOREIGN NATIONALS

• Valid Passport
• Alien Registration Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• U.S. State Department Issued Diplomatic ID Card

A U.S. driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification for foreign nationals. No foreign-issued state IDs, foreign-issued driver’s licenses, expired passports, photocopies, other transmissions of these documents, or other forms of identification will be accepted. Individuals without acceptable identification, or whose identification does not exactly match the information previously registered, may be denied entry.

Prohibited Items

• Bags of any kind (including fanny packs and clutches)
• Cameras with detachable lenses
• Electric stun guns
• E-cigarettes
• Knives of any kind
• Martial arts
• Tobacco Products
• Toy Weapons
• Video cameras
• Weapons/devices
• Any pointed object
• Any other item determined to be a potential safety hazard

Please note that storage facilities are not provided during your visit. Individuals who arrive with bags or prohibited items will not be permitted to enter the White House.

Permitted Items

• Baby carriers worn on the body
• Breast pumps
• Cell phones
• Compact cameras with lenses less than 3 inches
• Umbrellas without metal tips
• All items needed for medical purposes (i.e. wheelchairs, EpiPens, medication, etc.)

Getting Here

Use of public transportation is strongly encouraged, as there is no parking available on the White House complex and street parking is limited. The closest Metrorail stations to the White House are Federal Triangle (blue and orange lines), Metro Center (blue, orange, silver, and red lines), and McPherson Square (blue, orange, and silver lines).

The White House Tour entrance is located in Sherman Park at 15th Street NW and Alexander Hamilton Place NW. If arriving by rideshare, use the White House Visitor Center (WHVC) as the drop-off address. The WHVC is located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20230, which is one block from the White House.

Restrooms are located at the White House Visitors Center, located at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20230. There are no restrooms available once you arrive for your tour.

Accessibility

The White House tour route is wheelchair accessible. Visitors who wish to use a White House wheelchair should notify a U.S. Secret Service officer upon arrival.

Guide animals are permitted in the White House.

Health and Safety Guidance

Guests who receive a confirmed tour reservation will be issued a White House Tour Pass ahead of their tour date containing pertinent health and safety guidance.

Know Before You Go

• Tours are self-guided and last approximately 45 minutes
• Eat a snack and stay hydrated prior to arrival.
• Dress for the weather, knowing you will be outside before your tour.
• Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time.
• No late arrivals are accepted.
• All guests must be previously registered via the RSVP link provided by the White House.
• Please silence your cell phone and refrain from phone calls during the tour.
• No flash photography or video recording is permitted during your tour.
• Visitors may call the 24-hour Visitors Office information line at 202-456-7041 for latest updates and information relevant to White House tours.

Visit The White   House

Stay connected.

We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden.

Russia’s Putin to visit China in first foreign trip since re-election

The Russian leader’s May 16-17 visit aims to underscore the deepening ‘no limits’ partnership with China’s Xi Jinping.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China this week, both countries announced, using the first foreign trip of his new six-year term to underscore the deepening partnership with China’s Xi Jinping.

China and Russia declared a “no limits” partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.

Keep reading

Russia’s vladimir putin visits ‘dear friend’ xi jinping in china, china’s defence minister visits russia and belarus in show of support, russia’s bolshoi theatre performs in china amid western sanctions.

“At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China on May 16-17 as his first foreign trip after taking office,” the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement that the two will discuss “bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of common interest”.

It will be Putin’s second visit in just over six months to China, an economic lifeline for Russia after Western nations imposed sanctions over its military offensive in Ukraine.

China has rebuffed Western criticism of its ties with Russia, but their economic partnership and military cooperation have come under increasing scrutiny in the West.

The United States’s latest punitive measures, announced this month, targeted more than 280 entities in their latest effort to paralyse Russia’s military and industrial capabilities, including 20 firms based in China and Hong Kong.

US-China rivalry

The US casts China as its biggest competitor and Russia as its largest nation-state threat while US President Joe Biden argues that this century will be defined by an existential contest between democracies and autocracies.

Putin and Xi share a broad worldview, which sees the West as decadent and in decline just as China challenges US supremacy in everything from quantum computing and synthetic biology to espionage and hard military power.

During the visit, Putin will meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang to discuss economic cooperation. Putin will also visit the northeastern city of Harbin, which has strong ties to Russia, for a trade and investment exposition.

Putin pivoted to China after the US and its allies tried to isolate Russia as punishment for the war in Ukraine.

China-Russian trade hit a record of $240.1bn in 2023, up 26.3 percent from a year earlier, Chinese customs data shows.

Top crude oil supplier

Russia has become China’s top crude supplier, with its oil shipments to China jumping more than 24 percent in 2023 despite Western sanctions.

The Kremlin said the two leaders would “identify key areas for further development of Russian-Chinese practical cooperation” and would sign a joint statement after the meeting.

Putin, 71, and Xi, 70, will take part in an event celebrating 75 years since the Soviet Union recognised the People’s Republic of China which was declared by Mao Zedong in 1949.