President Donald Trump was brutally fact-checked to his face by Chinese leader Xi Jinping over claims he made about solving another war.
Trump has, several times, claimed to have been the driving force behind stopping the border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia that turned violent, clearly irritating Xi, who was keen to set the record straight on Trump’s role.
When the two sat down for a bilateral meeting in South Korea, Xi cast Trump as a supportive bystander.
Xi, speaking through an interpreter, praised Trump’s role in the Gaza ceasefire agreement before adding, “During your visit to Malaysia, you witnessed the signing of the Joint Declaration on Peace along the Cambodia-Thailand border, and you provided your support.
“China has assisted Cambodia and Thailand in our own way to resolve the border dispute, and we continue to promote peace talks to address other pressing issues in the region.”
China has a long-standing economic interest in the region.
Xi’s dig comes after a senior U.S. official last week played down China’s input. “From the U.S. standpoint, we actually don’t believe that China played a significant role—and really any kind of consequential role—in achieving the peace,” said the official, according to Reuters. “I would not expect to see China participating,” they added, referring to the signing ceremony.
Leaders from the two countries signed a peace agreement in Malaysia on Sunday. The deal was driven by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), headed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Trump was at the signing event, part of the bi-annual summit.
On Truth Social, he has posted multiple times, appearing to take explicit credit for the first ceasefire in July and an updated truce. The July deal brought deadly border clashes to a halt only momentarily. Fighting resumed soon after, and at least 43 people have been killed and more than 300,000 displaced in total.
“I am on my way to Malaysia, where I will sign the great Peace Deal, which I proudly brokered between Cambodia and Thailand,” he crowed in a post Saturday.
“NO WAR! Millions of lives saved. Such an honor to have gotten this done,” he said after he joined leaders of several other nations at the signing ceremony. ASEAN is presided over by 11 Southeast Asian states.
A month after the first incarnation of the deal was solidified in the summer, he posted: “We’ve saved a lot of lives…”
He was particularly buoyant the day it was signed, back in July. “I am pleased to announce that, after the involvement of President Donald J. Trump, both Countries have reached a CEASEFIRE and PEACE. Congratulations to all! By ending this War, we have saved thousands of lives. I have instructed my Trade Team to restart negotiations on Trade. I have now ended many Wars in just six months—I am proud to be the President of PEACE!”
Two weeks later, artillery led to a lofty death toll, widespread injuries, and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians.
China has long positioned itself as a peacemaker in the region, leading to Xi’s apparent ire with Trump and administration officials. Chinese officials have campaigned for peace and made clear that they are ready to assist, inspired by the country’s economic interests in the region.
The Chinese vice foreign minister also hosted an emergency meeting on July 30, inviting top diplomats from Thailand and Cambodia.
The Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations has also suggested that the country was actively engaged in mediation efforts. Chinese officials have painted the dispute as a legacy of the Western colonial powers, casting Xi as the non-colonial problem-solver.
China’s back-channel role appears to have been overshadowed by Trump’s boisterous look-at-me diplomacy, causing the tense moment at the bilateral meeting. Trump, for his part, didn’t even appear to notice he was rebuked. He launched into a rambling bit, calling Xi his longtime friend and a “great leader,” saying he was looking forward to trade deals.
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told the Daily Beast that Trump is the “Peacemaker-in-Chief.”
She said: “President Trump has successfully ended multiple conflicts, including between Thailand and Cambodia, which the Cambodian Prime Minister recognized by nominating President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize months ago. President Trump is being widely hailed as the Peacemaker-in-Chief because he deserves it—but as he said, the best reward is the countless lives he is saving by stopping wars around the world.”
