🇺🇸 Donald Trump · 🇨🇳 Xi Jinping
What Xi Actually Thinks of Trump
What happened
Xi Jinping may have viewed Trump as a person who "fantasizes about having kingly powers" and lacks self-discipline, whereas Xi's own leadership approach is characterized by a "sober and rational assessment of China's or at least the Chinese Communist Party's interests". Xi may have found Trump's behavior tacky and amateurish, particularly his self-aggrandizing displays. Xi's rule is seen as a "strategic and highly determined conquest of near-absolute power".
Why it matters
Xi Jinping's private estimates about Trump's character and the US may impact China's foreign policy decisions, particularly regarding the US's ability to recover from the Trump years and the likelihood of miscalculations by Xi. The difference in leadership styles between Xi and Trump may have implications for global politics and international relations.
Key facts
- Trump gave Xi the "red-carpet treatment" and flattered him at every turn
- Xi has concentrated power in his own hands through anti-corruption drives and eliminating loyal officials
- Xi's rule is characterized as a "boa constrictor-like" tightening of his grip on power
Topics
Publisher evidence used
Reporting attributed to foreignpolicy.com. WorldLeadersNews links readers to the publisher and does not present a headline-only item as a full article analysis.
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