LET’S TREAT TRUMP LIKE XI JINPING

Stephen Harper’s first meeting with Barack Obama after the latter became president in 2008 took place on Canadian soil, drawing thousands to Parliament Hill on a snowy February day. The new president then delighted Ottawans by strolling into the market to purchase cookies for his daughters.

Justin Trudeau’s first meeting with Donald Trump, next week, will be different. First, he notably didn’t invite the president to Ottawa; as with Obama, thousands would have shown up on the Hill, but they’d likely be waving protest signs. Second, while Trudeau is great at walkabouts, he’ll not want to upstage his celebrity host with displays of retail politics while in Washington. Best to keep it low-key. Third, while Obama already knew the importance of the Canada-U.S. relationship (even if he and Harper didn’t always see eye to eye), Trudeau must focus relentlessly on showing Trump why his northern neighbour merits serious, respectful treatment.

How, then, to proceed? Team Trudeau should follow the model it used recently for another difficult world leader: China’s Xi Jinping.

Under it, diplomats and senior ministers lay the groundwork early. Three senior members of the Liberal cabinet — Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Finance Minister Bill Morneau — have already been in Washington educating their counterparts. They’re also telegraphing that defence, global security and trade top Canada’s agenda: three themes Trump should be receptive to.

That may make him more likely to hear us out on concerns such as keeping the border open; renegotiating but not gutting NAFTA; figuring out a coherent approach to NATO, or Russia.

Trump’s move to block people from seven Muslim-majority countries has outraged Canadians, and Trudeau may raise it — just as he raised the highly charged issue of human rights with China’s leaders. But this should be a discreet conversation; picking a public fight with the egotistical U.S. leader would be fruitless.

Trudeau didn’t show up in China emptyhanded. He may need to bring something to Washington too — say, ideas on Canada’s defence commitments.

The prime minister has another potential role to play: as a conduit between Trump and Europe. Trudeau will address the European Parliament later next week; his impressions of the Trump team will be useful.

Let’s not place too many expectations on this first chat. It would be good not to get yelled at, as the Australian and French leaders reportedly were. It would be good if Trudeau and Trump, dissimilar as they are, could pick up the phone to each other sometimes.

It would be particularly good if the president didn’t appoint Sarah Palin ambassador. But that’s a problem for another day.