Trump to Greet Xi at Airport Ahead of U.S.-China Summit

Evan Vucci/Pool via Reuters 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.

Trump’s actual 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.