Bradley Thayer, a fellow of the American Freedom Alliance, said Chinese President Xi Jinping insulted U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in 2023 [1, 2].
The exchange highlights the volatile nature of U.S.-China relations and the ideological struggle over which nation holds global dominance. If the accusations are accurate, they suggest a strategic attempt by Beijing to project strength by framing the United States as a fading power.
Thayer said that Xi referenced the Thucydides Trap, a historical theory where a rising power threatens to displace an existing hegemon [1, 2]. According to Thayer, Xi claimed that China is rising while the United States is declining [1, 2].
"What Xi Jinping said to President Trump, really his reference to Thucydides Trap, that is that China’s rising and the United States is declining, was a considerable insult," Thayer said [1].
Despite the nature of the comment, Thayer said that "none of Xi Jinping’s attempted blows landed with Trump" [1]. He said the interaction was an indication of stasis in the relationship between the two leaders [1].
There is a contradiction regarding the target of the remark. While Thayer framed the comment as an insult to Trump, other reports indicate that Trump framed the remark as being aimed at President Joe Biden [2].
“"What Xi Jinping said to President Trump... was a considerable insult."”
The invocation of the Thucydides Trap is a calculated diplomatic signal. By framing the relationship as a zero-sum game of rise and decline, Beijing seeks to challenge the psychological and political primacy of the U.S. on the world stage. The disagreement over whether the insult was directed at Trump or Biden reflects the internal U.S. political divide and how different leaders interpret Chinese aggression.
