Body language, a flattering tone, and a curiosity with notes – the internet and the press discuss details of the Trump-Xi summit
Kyiv • UNN
The leaders of the US and China displayed conciliatory body language at the summit in Beijing. A video has gone viral online showing Trump peering into notes after Xi steps away from the table during dinner.
Body language, a flattering tone, and a curiosity with notes: the internet and Western press are analyzing intriguing details from the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, UNN reports.
Details
As The New York Times notes, the body language of Trump and Xi at the summit reflected their respective styles.
Although the US and Chinese leaders disagreed on issues such as trade and Taiwan, they met in Beijing with what was described as "a display of friendly gestures." "They shook hands. They took a long walk. One man touched the other’s arm, then did it again. Later, they shook hands several more times," the publication writes.
"For two leaders who have been at odds over many issues — Taiwan, trade, rare earth resources and more — the meeting on Thursday between President Trump and Xi Jinping, China’s leader, suggested they wanted the rivalry to be friendly rather than not," the publication writes.
As the publication observes, "the body language stood in sharp contrast to Mr. Trump’s harsh criticism of China back home and to many of his meetings with long-standing US allies."
According to experts, "the body language suggested that Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi were both striking a conciliatory pose, each in his own style and reflecting the complicated relationship of their countries."
The publication notes that "Trump was flattering, Xi was resolute" — at every turn, at least at the start of his two-day trip to China, Trump sounded conciliatory, while Xi, smiling and welcoming Trump, was subtly more confrontational, especially regarding Taiwan, where he issued an unequivocal warning.
The summit was also marked by curiosities. During the official dinner in Beijing held between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, an unexpected moment caught widespread attention online. Video footage from the event shows Xi Jinping briefly leaving the table during dinner. At that moment, as discussed online, Trump appears to glance at the neighboring notes.
"This is footage from yesterday's banquet… Xi Jinping gets up from the table. President Trump quietly leans to the side, opens Xi's notes, and takes a single look… The US Secretary of State watches silently," journalist Kadambini Sharma wrote on X, sharing the video.