Xi Jinping And Donald Trump Meet In April: What Does Xi Think Of Trump?

Two of the world’s most powerful political leaders are scheduled to meet in Beijing in the first week of April. Understanding the summit requires asking: What does Xi Jinping think of Donald Trump? My assessment, based on China’s reaction to Trump’s policies and Xi’s personal interactions with him, is that Xi finds Trump “okay”—tolerable and manageable, but neither particularly helpful nor particularly pleasant. Despite Trump’s tariffs and occasional tough talk, this amounted to some pragmatic deference from Xi as Trump accommodated China on several core issues and avoided Beijing’s red lines.