Trump: China's Xi Jinping admires US, sees it as strongest nation

“You are living in the strongest, most successful country in the world. Everyone sees it, including President Xi Jinping. I met him in China, and President Xi admires us,” US President Donald Trump said in an interview with New York Post journalist Miranda Devine, published on June 3.

During his three-day visit to Beijing last month, Mr. Trump repeatedly praised Mr. Xi publicly. According to the White House chief, the Chinese president also offered equally warm praise during a private meeting between the two leaders.

“I had a great visit. Xi appreciated what I’ve done. He said, ‘You’ve done it so fast, I’ve never seen anything like it,’” the US President said.

He continued to affirm that he began his new term when the country was facing many difficulties, but had made America “the strongest country in the world.”

These statements are similar to the US President’s post on the Truth Social social media platform at the beginning of his tour, when he claimed that under Joe Biden, the Chinese president saw the US as a “declining nation.”

“Two years ago, America was indeed in decline. On this point, I completely agree with President Xi! But now, America is the strongest country in the world, and I hope our relationship with China will be sustainable and better than ever!” Trump posted last month.

When journalist Devine asked how he wanted his political legacy to be remembered, President Trump replied, “I want to be remembered as the person who made our country great again.”

China has not yet responded to this interview by the US President.

Following their talks in Beijing last month, Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi agreed to establish a “constructive strategic stable relationship” to guide bilateral relations for the next three years and beyond.

This is the first time the phrase “constructive strategic stable relationship” has been used for US-China relations. In his speech at the state banquet, Mr. Trump described US-China relations as “one of the most important relationships” in world history.

However, he ended the visit without finding a solution for the supply of rare earth minerals, an issue that has cast a shadow over the two countries’ relations since China imposed export controls on minerals in response to Washington’s tariffs in April 2025.