Away from the complex agenda, here are five other highlights from day 1 of the Trump-Xi summit

ONE-SIDED FRIENDSHIP?
Trump heaped praise on Xi as talks began at the cavernous Great Hall of the People, saying: “It’s an honour to be your friend. We’ve gotten along when there were difficulties, we worked it out,” Trump told Xi. All that the Chinese leader said in return was that the two countries “should be partners, not rivals”. Xi’s self-described “best friend” on the international stage is Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

NO ‘BIG, FAT HUG’
Posting on social media in mid-April, Trump predicted Xi would give him a “big, fat hug” upon his arrival in Beijing. Come Thursday morning, Trump was offered a firm handshake instead of the warm embrace he had hoped for. The handshake lasted more than 10 seconds, with the American leader patting Xi on his arm a couple of times.


THE THUCYDIDES TRAP
Xi chose to compare the US-China relationship to the “Thucydides Trap”, a political term coined by an American scholar based on an account of the Peloponnesian war by ancient Greek historian Thucydides. The term refers to a tendency towards war when an ascending power threatens to displace an established one. “Can China and the US transcend the so-called ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new paradigm for major-power relations?” Xi asked. The answer, Xi added, will have to be “jointly written” by the two leaders.

An ancient warning hangs over the Trump-Xi summit bonhomie

REPORT ERR…
Tensions rose on the sidelines between travelling US media outlets and Chinese security personnel and officials. Reporters scrambled for shots at the Great Hall as Trump and Xi prepared to sit down, with one expletiveladen exclamation caught on tape. Later, as the leaders visited the Temple of Heaven, US press had their entry delayed for nearly half an hour after security initially refused (later allowed) a Secret Service agent to enter with his weapon.

Xi tells Trump that mishandling of Taiwan could spark conflict

MEMES THE WORD
Chinese social media erupted with humorous posts marking the visit. Many joked Trump could enjoy “Crazy Thursday”—a viral campaign in China by fast-food chain KFC entailing food discounts every Thursday—with some using AI to generate memes of him enjoying fried chicken. Commenters were almost as excited by the presence of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla boss Elon Musk as part of the accompanying US business delegation, with a related Weibo hashtag reaching more than 52 million views. Videos of Musk taking videos on his phone while standing on the steps of the Great Hall of the People also attracted attention. “Looks like someone who’s never seen the world,” a user posted.