Despite the rivalry between the United States and China, President Trump has repeatedly found ways to give President Xi Jinping of China a pass, portraying him more as a personal friend than a competitor. President Trump has spent weeks dismissing or excusing reports of China’s infractions as he’s prepared for the “great honor” of hosting President Xi Jinping in Washington.

In the weeks leading up to President Trump welcoming President Xi Jinping of China to Washington on Wednesday evening, Beijing has been accused of undermining America’s national interests on a number of fronts. Mr. Trump accused the country this summer of “sinister election meddling” in the 2020 election. Since the start of the war with Iran, Chinese companies have provided Tehran with satellite imagery, and access to a spy satellite, that Iran’s military forces have used to mount attacks in the region, according to multiple U.S. officials.

But as his meeting with Mr. Xi approached, Mr. Trump has repeatedly found ways to give him a pass. Mr. Trump has spent weeks boosting the visit as a major event for the United States, sprucing up the White House beforehand, and planning for a state visit that will start with a rare greeting at Joint Base Andrews. Even staunch allies of Mr. Trump have bristled at the plans. Senator Roger Wicker said he hoped Mr. Trump would press Mr. Xi on “the purposes of China’s massive military buildup, or about China’s clear support for Iran.”

Responding to Mr. Wicker’s comments, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the visit reflected an acknowledgment by Mr. Trump that despite disagreements, China is one of the largest economic and military powers in the world. Foreign policy experts say that Mr. Trump’s posture has been striking. “Trump is displaying an extraordinary degree of deference to Xi,” said Julian Gewirtz, a scholar at Columbia University. “What is Trump getting for America in return for all this ceremony?”