President Donald Trump was set to personally greet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, kicking off a state visit expected to feature bilateral talks and a state dinner at the White House.

The presidential welcome will contrast with Trump’s arrival in Beijing during his May state visit to China, when Xi did not meet him at the airport.

Trump was instead greeted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng before meeting Xi the next day at the Great Hall of the People.

Trump later attended a state banquet with Xi and toured the Temple of Heaven with the Chinese leader.

The Washington visit comes amid persistent tensions between the world’s two largest economies over trade, artificial intelligence and national security.

Trump has nevertheless spoken warmly of Xi, calling him a “great leader” and a “strong man.”

The meeting also comes against sharp U.S.-China differences over Iran.

China and Russia have repeatedly opposed the U.S.-backed restoration of U.N. sanctions on Tehran, arguing that the mechanism used to restore the sanctions was invalid.

A U.S.-drafted Security Council resolution scheduled for a vote Thursday would extend the mandate of the panel of experts supporting the U.N. Iran sanctions committee; China and Russia have opposed that effort.

Separately, China and Russia were among three countries voting against an International Atomic Energy Agency resolution backed by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany that called on Iran to address its nuclear safeguards noncompliance and requested that the matter be reported to the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly.

That measure passed 23-3, with eight abstentions.

Xi’s visit will follow the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York, where Trump is scheduled to address world leaders and hold meetings on the sidelines. Xi is expected to skip the gathering ahead of his trip to Washington.