US president Donald Trump on Friday praised Chinese president Xi Jinping, saying “you wouldn’t find a guy like him in Hollywood” as he lauded Xi’s leadership and global stature. Trump described the Chinese leader as a respected figure who has governed nearly 1.5 billion people for a long time.Speaking about Xi, Trump also referred to his physical presence, calling him “very tall” and suggesting that even Hollywood would struggle to find someone capable of portraying him on screen. “They always criticize me when I say good things about certain leaders, and this one, but… he’s led almost 1.5 billion people for a long time, and he’s respected,” Trump said.The opening day of the high-stakes summit between Xi Jinping and Trump was marked by warm exchanges and mutual praise, a striking contrast to the trade tensions that defined relations between the two countries for much of last year.Trump began the visit by expressing confidence that the two nations would have a “fantastic future,” while Xi said maintaining strong ties between Beijing and Washington was a “historic responsibility.”Following roughly two hours of talks, a visit to Temple of Heaven and a state banquet, the atmosphere of bonhomie appeared to be the most significant outcome highlighted by both sides so far.Trump said his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping was “100 per cent correct” in describing the United States as a nation in decline, but argued that the remarks referred to the years under former president Joe Biden.“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 per cent correct,” Trump said through a post on Truth Social.Trump said the US had “suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, Diversity-Equity-Inclusion (DEI), horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more!” during the Biden administration.He added that the United States had witnessed “an incredible rise” during the first 16 months of his administration, citing record stock market gains and 401(k)s, renewed economic strength, military victories and what he described as a booming jobs market.
