As Chinese President Hu Jintao stepped out of a black limousine onto the White House’s South Lawn for his January state visit, it was clear something in the relationship between the two countries had changed.
With a warm smile and slight head bow, United States President Barack Obama, joined by the first lady, extended his hand to Mr. Hu, and escorted him to meet the vice president and several heads of state. A 21-gun military salute and official ceremony, including the anthems of both nations, followed the meet-and-greet.
Later, Mr. Hu was treated to a black-tie state dinner—the first formal event held for a Chinese official in more than 13 years—and was even presented with a 68-by-86-inch painting to represent the symbiotic relationship between East and West. It was the third official state visit conducted since the start of Mr. Obama’s presidency, following Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon in May 2010.