President Donald Trump was humiliated after his White House band failed to drown out protests from activists opposing his Chinese counterpart.

The president and first lady, Melania Trump, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday evening after their top officials agreed to extend a trade truce until January a day before. As the White House band played, protesters’ voices could be heard blaring over the music.

Trump whispered over to Xi as their respective wives stood on either side. President Xi let out a small laugh while Trump looked on.

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The four of them posed for photos until Trump eventually led Xi inside the White House.Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the extension of the truce — under which the countries agreed to scale back tariffs and refrain from imposing new trade restrictions — during a Fox News Channel interview as Trump welcomed Xi at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington.

“I don’t know whether a bigger deal can be done. I don’t know whether we will just roll the current deal,” Bessent said in the interview, noting the extension to Jan. 10 could give the leaders more time to talk about the issues at upcoming international summits in China in November and Florida in December.

Trade has been one of the biggest flashpoints between the two superpowers, along with artificial intelligence, Trump’s war with Iran and China’s designs on Taiwan. But much of Xi’s three-day visit is expected to be far more about pomp than substance, starting with Trump’s decision to greet Xi as he landed, rather than waiting for him to drive up to the White House.

A 100-foot-long red carpet was unfurled at the bottom of the staircase, placed at the door of Xi’s plane. A 21-person honor guard was arrayed on the sides of the carpet, and Trump and first lady Melania Trump stood near a staircase on the side of the plane, where they greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, with handshakes.

The welcome ceremony also included a flyover by two B-1 bombers, platoons from each branch of the military, and a presentation of the flags and anthems of both countries. Trump and his wife spoke to their counterparts, but their words could not be heard. Trump, who wore gloves and an overcoat though it was a relatively warm 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius) outside, removed one of his gloves to shake hands with Xi. At one point, he slapped Xi on the back and said something to him that was inaudible.

“I think they appreciate it, tremendous people,” Trump told reporters after he returned to the White House Wednesday evening.

In a statement marking his arrival in the U.S., China’s leader wrote that his country and the U.S. “should be partners, not rivals. Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand, and the two countries can contribute to each other’s success, thereby benefiting the wider world.”