President Donald Trump seemingly committed a faux pas while meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, failing to put his earpiece in in time to hear Xi’s translator speak.
In footage from the meeting, held on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Busan, South Korea, Xi can be heard speaking for a few seconds before the translator begins, as Trump, 79, looks on with a neutral expression on his face while members of the president’s entourage, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, begin putting their headphones on.
Only after the translator had been translating Xi’s message for 10 seconds did Trump manage to get his earpiece in, fumbling for a few seconds before successfully getting it into place.
Trump and Xi both exchanged pleasantries at the meeting, with Trump saying of the Chinese leader, “Xi is a great leader of a great country, it is an honor to have you with us.”
Xi, meanwhile, said to Trump, ”Given our different national conditions we do not always see eye to eye and it is normal for the two leading economies of the world to have friction now and again.”
”You and I should stay the right course,” he continued. ”I always believe China’s development goes hand-in-hand with your vision to make America great again. China and the U.S. should be partners and friends.”
In addition to Rubio and Bessent, Trump was also joined by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Ambassador to China David Purdue, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The meeting was taking place on the Gimhae Air Base in Busan during APEC, at which Trump gave a keynote speech on Wednesday.
The meeting, the first between Xi and Trump since 2019, was expected to cover issues like a potential deal that could resolve the ongoing trade war between the two nations, which was ignited by Trump’s increasing tariffs.
Bessent hinted at a deal involving China resuming its purchase of U.S. soybeans earlier this month, doubling down in a Thursday social media post in which he also took aim at Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.
“As the attached photo demonstrates, @POTUS is in Asia showing what successful American leadership looks like. Today’s announcement after his meeting with President Xi will be a resounding victory for our great farmers,” Bessent wrote.
“While I know it will be soul-crushing for you, please re-focus your staff away from writing incoherent letters to myself and others, and instead work towards opening the government.”
