Trump says his bromance with Chinese leader Xi Jinping is over
President Trump says his relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has deteriorated amid the impact of the coronavirus and that he has not spoken to a man he used to describe as a “friend” in a long time. “I used to have a very good relationship with him,” Trump told Fox Sports Radio on Tuesday. “I had a great relationship with President Xi. I like him, but I don't feel the same way now.” Trump has been consistent in his criticism of China’s role in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic but has been reluctant to condemn Xi himself. At times, he has even been out of step with his more hawkish advisers, such as when he last year personally promised Xi that he would not condemn Chinese actions in Hong Kong as the price of securing a trade deal. A former administration official said the change in tone was significant. “What he is saying is that China is a hostile power, and he can’t just look the other way in order to get a trade deal done,” he said. For his part, Trump said the relationship had changed. "I certainly feel differently,” he said. “I had a very, very good relationship, and I haven't spoken to him in a long time."
Last week it also emerged that an American intelligence assessment concluded that China is among countries attempting to influence November’s election. Beijing is apparently working to help presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, because it finds Trump “unpredictable.” Yet as recently as June, Xi was speaking in warm tones about the American president. “President Trump is my friend and I am convinced he is also not interested in this,” he said during a visit to Russia, according to a translation by Reuters. It echoed a frequent refrain from Trump, who in March, even as the devastation of COVID-19 was becoming apparent, said, “I have great respect for President Xi. I consider him to be a friend of mine. It's unfortunate that this got out of control.” In January, Trump signed what was supposed to be the first phase of a series of major trade deals with Beijing. But any idea of resuming negotiations has been dropped amid worsening relations. "This is a thousand times the trade deal … what happened with all of the death and … the world had to shut down," he told Fox during the interview.
The Trump campaign has heightened its anti-China rhetoric in the past month while the administration has signaled its impatience with Beijing. Trump has floated banning the popular Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat, and last week sent the highest-ranking official to Taiwan in 40 years. Fresh sanctions were imposed after Beijing tightened its grip on Hong Kong, and four of the administration's most senior officials have delivered blistering condemnation speeches. Curtis Ellis, China expert with America First Policies, said, "Attorney General Barr, national security adviser O'Brien, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are on the same page as President Trump. The Communist Party of China is behaving badly, and we can't pretend otherwise." Robert Daly, the director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute on China and the United States, said the declarations of friendship were never sincere. "They were a political tactic that the American leader thought would help him manipulate China’s leader," he said. "The odds of two men with conflicting goals and no common language, culture, or discernible interests becoming genuine friends were always zero." Trump's coronavirus attacks made it impossible to sustain the pretense, he said, before adding that it would be a mistake to personally criticize Xi. "Insulting the Chinese leader would cut off channels for communication that are essential to managing relations with China," he said. "What is needed in Trump’s dealings with Xi is mature, impersonal, frank conversation based in the U.S. national interest."
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