During his first term, U.S. President Donald Trump often irritated Chinese President Xi Jinping with his unpredictable mix of threats and friendliness. This time, however, the Chinese leader reportedly believes he has deciphered the secret behind Trump’s behavior, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which cites sources close to Chinese officials.
“Xi Jinping has abandoned China’s traditional diplomatic strategy and developed a new one specifically for Trump,” the article states.
According to these sources, the new strategy aligns with Trump’s image as a “deal maker” — someone who offers concessions on issues of personal importance, such as the fate of the popular Chinese social media app TikTok.
The two leaders are expected to meet in South Korea on October 30 for a highly anticipated summit, which observers view as an opportunity to recalibrate U.S.-China relations amid global tensions.
“Xi Jinping has abandoned China’s traditional diplomatic strategy and developed a new one specifically for Trump,” — The Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, Die Welt reports that Xi Jinping has not found time to receive German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his planned official visit to China. “Rumor has it that Xi Jinping has not made time to meet Merz,” the German newspaper noted.
Additionally, Beijing has reportedly canceled the visit of German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to the Chinese capital — a move described by the German press as a “foreign policy disaster” for Berlin. According to reports, Wadephul (CDU) himself called off the trip because ‘no one in China wanted to meet with him’, highlighting the current diplomatic chill between Beijing and Berlin.
As China strengthens its dialogue with Washington and prepares for Xi’s upcoming summit with Trump, analysts see Beijing’s diplomatic snubs toward German officials as part of a broader realignment in China’s foreign policy priorities.
