Donald Trump arrived in Beijing Thursday morning looking unusually nervous, fiddling with his jacket before stepping out of the presidential limousine at the Great Hall of the People. The man who storms through European democracies like a wrecking ball was polite, restrained, and visibly delighted by the rigid pageantry of China's authoritarian state.
The contrast was stark. At home, Trump has shown authoritarian impulses, discrediting elections and attacking the press. In China, where the strongman fantasy is made flesh, he appeared genuinely at ease. When reporters shouted questions about Taiwan, he simply ignored them. When Xi Jinping warned that mishandling the island could lead the US and China to "collide or even clash," Trump offered no pushback.
The arrival ceremony clearly captivated him. Martial music. Troops with bayoneted rifles in lockstep. A 21-gun salute echoing across Tiananmen Square. Children waved American flags with theatrical enthusiasm, and Trump marveled at them afterward: "I was particularly impressed by those children. They were happy. They were beautiful."
It was a performance calculated for his tastes. Trump once organized a military parade in Washington on his own birthday and has spoken with admiration about Chinese soldiers being of identical height. "If they put their helmets down, you could have played pool on the top of their heads," he said years ago.
In two hours of talks around a giant table, Trump offered the kind of fawning praise he demands at his own cabinet meetings. "You're a great leader," he told Xi. "Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it's true. I only say the truth. It's an honour to be your friend."
Xi appeared to be in the driving seat. He struck a less cordial tone when raising Taiwan, warning of collision and clash. Trump, who brands himself "the Storm," said nothing in response.
At a state banquet that evening, the contrast deepened. Xi toasted the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" while Trump, who does not drink, took a sip of wine. His remarks were mild and scripted, devoid of the rambling digressions his supporters expect. The menu itself seemed designed to avoid offending his palate: lobster in tomato soup, crispy beef ribs, Beijing roast duck, salmon in mustard sauce, slow-cooked pork buns, tiramisu, and ice cream.
The dinner guest list revealed the shape of Trump's vision. Alongside family members and aides like Stephen Miller sat tech billionaires Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, and Elon Musk, who mugged for photos whenever asked. Trump's son Eric attended, now running the family business. The blending of presidential authority with family financial interests, once unthinkable, has become routine.
Trump has spoken with wistful admiration about Xi's grip on power. "He controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist," Trump said in 2024. "I mean, he's a brilliant guy, whether you like it or not." In America, Trump must contend with a messy democracy where people mock him, talk back, and where voters removed him from office in 2020. China offers something different: an orderly country with KFC, Starbucks, and McDonald's, yes, but one that abolished presidential term limits and uses facial recognition at subway stations to monitor its citizens.
Trump arrived in Beijing with modest ambitions. No one in his delegation bothers anymore to discuss human rights, democratic reform, or fighting climate change with Chinese officials. His goal is simpler: secure Xi's help on Iran and sell Boeing planes to revive his polling numbers.
President Richard Nixon called his 1972 visit to China "the week that changed the world." No such claim will be made for Trump's summit. What was once a vivid contrast between democracy and autocracy has blurred into something harder to distinguish.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's deference to Xi exposed something his supporters won't admit: he admires the strongman model far more than he respects democratic institutions."
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