US President Donald Trump on Friday said Chinese President Xi Jinping’s reported remark about the United States being a “declining nation” was directed at the administration of former President Joe Biden and not America under his leadership.
'Incredible rise over last 16 months'
Posting on Truth Social ahead of the second day of his summit with Xi in Beijing, Trump defended his administration’s performance and claimed the US had witnessed an “incredible rise” over the last 16 months.
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“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct," Trump wrote.
It remains unclear whether Trump was referring to comments made by Xi during private discussions or public remarks in Beijing.
Xi raises ‘Thucydides Trap’, Trump highlights US recovery
During his opening remarks in Beijing, Xi warned about the dangers of the “Thucydides Trap”, a term often used in international relations to describe tensions between a rising power and an established one.
“The world has come to a new crossroads. Can China and the US overcome the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and create a new paradigm of major-country relations?" Xi said, according to a live translation.
Xi also referred to “great changes unseen in a century”, comments seen as pointing to shifts in the global balance of power.
Trump, meanwhile, accused the Biden administration of weakening the country through “open borders, high taxes, horrible trade deals, rampant crime” and other policies. He also criticised diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and policies related to transgender rights.
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The US President claimed America was now seeing strong economic and military growth under his leadership, citing “all-time high stock markets” and a strong labour market. He also mentioned the “military decimation of Iran” while describing the US as an “economic powerhouse.”
“Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi," Trump said. “But now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before."
