The Pentagon gave Vice-President Xi Jinping a 19-gun salute and rolled out an honour guard welcome featuring 350 troops.
Such an elaborate greeting is highly unusual for a visiting vice-president, and suggests the Obama administration attaches great importance to Xi's trip.
Military ties between the two countries have been plagued by disputes, ranging from US arms sales to Taiwan to the South China Sea issue, but the two sides pledged to strengthen co-operation.
The Pentagon staged a 15-minute welcoming ceremony for Xi on Tuesday, beginning with the 19-gun salute.
The honour guard, which featured representatives from each branch of the American military, greeted Xi while bands played the national anthems of both countries.
In 2002, Hu Jintao also visited the Pentagon as vice-president, but his arrival was lower-key.
Professor Arthur Waldron, who specialises in the history of China and Eurasia at the University of Pennsylvania, said the arrangement reflected the desire of the US to court Xi on his trip. 'The economy of the US is so weak that we cannot offer economic deals on the table,' he said.