Trump Meets Xi in China Amid Iran War and Trade Talks

President Donald Trump flew to China this week for meetings with Xi Jinping. The tone was cordial, and the word détente was in the air.

Trump called Xi a great leader. ABC News framed the visit as hampered by the war in Iran. White House correspondent Mary Bruce said the president had hoped to arrive victorious and use that momentum for trade, technology, and artificial intelligence deals. She added that those ambitions were now overshadowed by the war.

ABC foreign correspondent James Longman asked how much more pain the United States could take from high gas prices caused by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. He said Iran had found a weapon of mass disruption without needing a nuclear weapon. He cited an Economist magazine cover quoting Napoleon Bonaparte: never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.

ABC foreign correspondent Ian Pannell said America’s influence, if not its power, was now in serious doubt. He said the war in Iran had split Trump from European allies and brought economic misery to Asia.

CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil broadcast from Taiwan after failing to secure a visa for China. He noted that viewers would hear much about American decline and the rise of China. He said Xi’s China is a marvel by many measures but added that its population is falling below replacement rates, unemployment is high, and millions live in poverty. He said pessimism is forbidden on the Chinese internet and that the freedoms Americans take for granted do not exist there.

Dokoupil also raised the case of democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who is imprisoned in Hong Kong. In a clip, Lai said Chinese officials believe people should simply make money and enjoy life without thinking about politics, freedom, or human rights. He said Hong Kong has a soul and is not a dog.

NBC anchor Tom Llamas secured an interview with Trump in Beijing. Some critics said the questions were not confrontational enough. CNN fact checker Daniel Dale claimed Trump lied repeatedly, and NBC published its own fact check online.

The positive tone between the leaders produced less negative coverage than usual on the broadcast networks. Conservative supporters who view the meetings as too accommodating to communists may still raise objections.