Donald Trump is planning to desperately pander to Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visits the U.S., according to a report.
Trump will welcome Xi immediately after the Chinese president lands at Joint Base Andrews on Sept. 23, the first time the 80-year-old will greet a world leader at the military facility during his second term, according to Politico’s Playbook.
An administration official and a White House official said Trump personally greeting Xi after he lands is part of an effort to “woo” the Chinese president, as Trump hopes to gain some goodwill when the pair take part in crunch talks at the summit.
“It’s all about respect and being seen as an equal to the president or to whatever leader they’re meeting with,” the administration official told Playbook. “Xi really wants to be seen as an equal to the president, and so it will be a big deal for the Chinese.”
Xi, 73, did not consider shamelessly sucking up to Trump when he visited Beijing earlier this year.
After Trump landed at Beijing Capital International Airport for the high-stakes summit in May, he was met by a team of Chinese delegates, including Vice President Han Zheng.
Xi did not meet Trump at the airport, instead welcoming him with a military guard of honor at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
As with any talks between the two global powerhouses, there are a number of potentially thorny issues that will need to be addressed when Trump and Xi meet.
This includes discussing a possible extension of the U.S.-China trade truce and slashing tariffs to avoid reigniting the trade war between the two countries.
The world will also be watching to see whether the U.S. and China can agree to slow the rapid AI race or impose guardrails amid fears that technology could advance so much it will cause the end of humanity.
The U.S. has outpaced China in AI models, although China has been catching up, including with Beijing-based startup Moonshot AI. Both countries will hope to reach some sort of agreement to mitigate the risks posed by each other’s increasingly powerful models.
Trump’s war in Iran, which has dragged on for nearly seven months with little end in sight, is also set to be another talking point.
Last month, Trump vowed he would impose the “most crushing economic operation ever taken against any country” that does business with Iran.
However, Beijing continues to maintain ties with Tehran, and China considers Iran its closest and most strategically important partner in the Middle East.
In April, Trump told Fox News that he had written a letter to Xi begging him not to sell any weapons to Iran.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Beijing on Wednesday, exactly one week before Xi arrives in the U.S.
“We encourage Iran and the U.S. to stay rational and restrained,” Wang said.
“We urge all parties to take effective measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at an early date,” he added, saying China “does not want to see regional tensions spill over further into Yemen and the Red Sea.”
Tensions between China and Taiwan—which the U.S. supports defensively without establishing formal diplomatic ties in an effort to deter Beijing from invading the island—could also play a key role in Xi’s visit.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
