Donald Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping if he took other leaders to the Zhongnanhai garden where they strolled on Friday, prompting mockery about the president’s thirst for “validation.”

“He literally sounds like a girl asking a guy if this is their special place,” one person wrote on social media.

In an exchange caught on video and reported by the BBC, the conversation between the two superpower heads went thusly with their translators:

Trump: “Can I ask the president: With other dignitaries from other countries, presidents or prime ministers, does he bring them here?”

Xi: “Very few. We usually don’t hold diplomatic events here. Even after we started having some, it’s still extremely rare. For example, Putin.”

Trump: “Good. I like it.”

Zhongnanhai is sometimes thought of as the Chinese White House but is not a prime venue for diplomatic visits, The Associated Press reported. So perhaps Xi’s invitation to the president was to “extend a personal touch to a U.S. leader who appreciates big gestures,” the wire service wrote.

Some observers figured the president’s fragile ego needed massaging.

“The level of emotional insecurity is staggering,” one person wrote on social media.

In a similar vein, someone else commented, “His insatiable need for validation is so embarrassing.”

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