US4 min(s) read
Published 10:27 14 May 2026 GMT
The US President was sending a secretive message during his handshake with Xi Jinping, according to a body language expert.
Trump met his Chinese counterpart in Beijing earlier today (May 14), as he was given an imperial welcome to the East Asian nation.
The 79-year-old's motorcade made its way through Tiananmen Square, which was stacked with troops and cannon fire to mark the State visit.
However, viewers may have noticed something about Trump's first interaction with Xi, as a body language expert told the Daily Mail that the power dynamics were on display from this point.
Apparently, the President conducted himself differently than normal, using eye contact and a giveaway 'bullfrog smile,' which was one of many indicators of the relationship between the world leaders.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, body language expert Judi James revealed that the handshake was very telling, as Trump made the first move, despite Xi being the host.
She said: "It was Trump instigating the handshake by throwing his own hand out, palm tilted upward, from a few paces away.
"The one instigating the shake gets an early sense of dominance, which is why it is usually the host."
The handshake between Trump and Xi lasted a full 10 seconds, with the former administering a number of small pats which may have been more meaningful than we'd thought.
James added: "When the hands are juddering together, Trump pats Xi's hand, twice at first, then three times with the first of the third pats being prolonged in a move that suggests a desire to cement the relationship."
But while it looked like the relationship was warm, it was nothing compared to the friendliness shown between Trump and Putin last year.
"Trump used strong, enquiring-looking eye contact as they engaged in some chat ... with none of the joking, animated playfulness that we saw during Putin's visit," James highlighted.
The meeting was Trump's first in-person with Xi since the start of the Iran war in February, though the US leader loosened up after he saw some flag-waving children greeting him, causing him to smile back.
James said: "He then began to use a series of approval, bonding pats on Xi's arm as they walked together to increase the idea of friendship."
Taking to the Great Hall, Xi opened up about what's known as the Thucydides Trap, which is the ancient Greek historian's account of Athens and Sparta.
It is used when an established power senses danger and feels threatened by a rising civilization.
The Chinese leader asked Trump across the table: "The world has come to a new crossroads. Can China and the US overcome the Thucydides Trap and create a new paradigm?"
Over the course of the two-hour summit, Xi said that if Taiwan is 'mishandled,' there may be a clash or conflict between the US and China, negatively affecting the relationship.
Trump was not shy to praise Xi before the summit began, stating: "It's an honor to be with you, it's an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before."
He said that the welcome was 'an honor like few have ever seen before,' as James spoke of the summit's setting and what it showed.
She pointed out: "The meeting room was huge, but the layout of the tables was actually relatively intimate by normal Chinese government standards, suggesting a desire from Xi to indulge in more direct and functional face-to-face discussions."
James noticed that Trump's posture revealed that he'd put his game face on, upon taking a seat, claiming he put on 'a pose of a relaxed but serious heavyweight alpha at the table.'
