'There were 6 people standing on either side of President Jinping. Everyone was incredibly tense.' Trump mimicked Jinping's guards, saying, 'They were all in an alert stance. I asked them, 'Will you speak to me?' but received no answer. Xi Jinping didn’t allow them to respond.'
President Trump amusingly imitated Xi Jinping in front of the senators. Turning to Vice President JD Vance, he jested, 'Why don’t you behave like that? JD doesn’t act like that. JD talks! I’d like some of that for a few days, alright, JD?' The room erupted with laughter at this joke.
This story from President Trump dates back to when he met China's President Xi Jinping at a breakfast table in Malaysia. Trump recalled the rigid and tense body language of Jinping's team members during the meeting.
Trump expressed that he desires his cabinet to demonstrate discipline similar to Jinping’s aides. Recalling the Malaysia meeting, Trump said, 'Their faces were stony, silent, and hard as rock. President Xi is indeed a tough, intelligent man. I’ve never seen more apprehensive individuals in my life.'
This light-hearted moment in Trump’s cabinet came amid serious talks on US-China economic relations. Notably, the Trump-Xi meeting took place on the eve of the APEC Summit, following months of escalating trade tensions and export restrictions.
White House Releases Smiling Photos of Jinping
China usually portrays Xi as a stern, disciplined leader, as seen when he attended the recent military parade donning a Mao suit. However, some photos released by the White House, which show a different side of Jinping, have made China uneasy.
According to a CNN report, Xi Jinping, not known for his easeful smile, molded an image as a grim and steadfast persona during his 12-year reign, overseen by state media as the most powerful communist leader in decades.
Source: aajtak
The pictures released by the White House depict a strikingly different aspect of Xi Jinping.
On October 30, 2025, during the APEC Summit in Busan, South Korea, a bilateral meeting occurred between Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump, and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. The White House released 42 photos (38 in color, 4 in black and white) of this meeting.
In some photos, Jinping is seen smiling genially.
According to reports, China has either censored or blocked these photos on its social media platforms (Douyin, Xiaohongshu). However, this claim cannot be confirmed.
Under Jinping's leadership, elite politics is so tightly controlled that even political analysts struggle to gauge current happenings in China.
