rsync not preserving/transferring extended attributes even though -AX being used on command line - how to run rsync without root user

Issue

• The issue is that extended attributes, including selinux labels, are not restored after a rsync:

  $ ls -Z test_rsync_src
  unconfined_u:object_r:passwd_file_t:s0 file_with_xattr
  
  $ rsync -aHAX test_rsync_src test_rsync_dst
  
  $ ll -Z test_rsync_dst
  total 0
  drwxrwxr-x. 2 user1 user1 unconfined_u:object_r:user_home_t:s0 29 Jun 29 17:10 test_rsync_src
  

• From the man of rsync, the extended attributes should be restored with the option X:

         -X, --xattrs
                This option causes rsync to update the destination extended attributes to be the same as the source ones.