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Trump hails 'historic' China visit
Reuters
Donald Trump recently completed a “historic” presidential visit to the People’s Republic of China – but it is a chair, not deals, that are grabbing people’s attention.
Trump became the first US president in almost a decade to visit China when he landed in Beijing last week. The visit consisted of meetings, dinners and other shows of hospitality, with differing views on what was actually achieved between the two superpower nations.
Throughout the trip, various clips emerged online showing moments shared between Trump and China’s president Xi Jinping, and one in particular got people talking.
It was during a meeting at the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing when each leader took a seat on a chair. However, people quickly noticed that the cushions on Trump’s chair appeared to be softer than those on Jinping’s, giving the Chinese leader an apparent height advantage.
While there is nothing to say it was done intentionally, some have suggested Trump was “humiliated” by China.
“Xi Jinping sat on a tall chair while Trump was given a shorter chair with a soft cushion so he sinks & appears smaller than Xi.
“China humiliated Trump in front of the world. Just look at his scowl!” someone claimed and shared a video of the moment.
Another argued: "People are saying Trump got hit with some elite level ‘power optics’ during the China summit because Xi’s chair had him sitting upright like an emperor while Trump looked like he sank into an Airbnb couch.
“And really…… this is the kind of psychological stuff world leaders absolutely think about. Chair height, camera angles, positioning, who walks in first, who sits taller. Politics is theater for powerful people.”
Another suggested: “The discomfort on Trump's face is obvious, as Xi appears to be a head taller!”
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