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When it comes to superpower summits, the real negotiations are done ahead of time. The actual interactions between leaders are all about the visuals. The latest Trump/Xi get-together began on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews with “a remarkable act of deference. By tradition, American presidents don’t make the 12-mile trip to the base to greet a foreign leader. They instead wait at the White House, backed by the grandeur and power of the executive mansion. But not this time.” Jonathan Lemire in The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Deferential President. “It was not that long ago when Trump, a self-styled international bully, could credibly claim to ‘run the country and the world.’ But he seems far smaller on the global stage now. ”

+ Here’s the latest on the meetings, the press conferences, and the upcoming state dinner from The Guardian.

+ We may not get to agreements on Iran, Taiwan, or AI, but we can at least celebrate the impending arrival of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang. AP: Xi says 2 giant pandas from China will arrive in the coming days at Atlanta’s zoo. (It’s gonna be a major bummer if these turn out to be AI pandas…)