Trump Recalls Tense Malaysia Meeting With Xi Jinping, Jokes About Stern Chinese Aides

US President Donald Trump regaled Republican senators with a humorous anecdote from his recent bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, joking that he had “never seen men so scared in their lives” while describing the rigid, silent demeanour of Xi’s aides. Speaking at a White House breakfast on Wednesday, Trump mimicked the officials—six on each side of Xi—standing at attention with arms behind their backs and chins raised, refusing to speak even when directly addressed. “I said, ‘Are you going to answer me?’ and I got no response—Xi didn’t let them have any,” Trump recounted, prompting laughter as he expressed envy for the discipline.

Turning to Vice President JD Vance, Trump quipped, “Why don’t you behave like that? JD barges into conversations!” before adding that he wanted his own Cabinet to exhibit similar posture and restraint “for at least a couple of days.” The light-hearted remarks highlighted Trump’s admiration for Xi’s commanding presence, whom he called “a tough man, smart man,” during the October 30 encounter in Busan, South Korea, on the sidelines of the APEC summit. Preparatory talks had taken place earlier in Malaysia, but the leaders’ face-to-face marked their first since Trump’s return to office.

The breakfast exchange came amid broader discussions on US-China relations, where Trump credited tariffs for resolving a potential crisis over rare earth minerals just two months earlier. “Without tariffs, I couldn’t have done it,” he said, noting that the issue was “no longer a subject for people.” The Busan meeting yielded a one-year truce: China paused new export controls on critical rare earths, pledged stronger action against fentanyl precursors, and agreed to increased purchases of American energy and agricultural products, while Trump halved fentanyl-related tariffs from 20% to 10%.

Also Read: Trump Expresses Strong Admiration for PM Modi, Pushes Trade Discussions With India

Trump described the overall agreement as renewable annually, emphasising mutual respect and long-term stability. While a framework for TikTok’s separation from ByteDance was advanced, final details remain pending. The president’s playful recounting underscored a warming tone in superpower ties, with Trump announcing plans to visit China in April 2026 and hinting at reciprocal progress on technology access and trade imbalances that have defined his second-term economic strategy.

Also Read: US Ambassador Calls Meeting With PM Modi “Incredible” Amid Trade Tensions