15 May,2026 09:34 AM IST | Beijing | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/AFP
US President Donald Trump said he agreed "100 per cent" with Chinese President Xi Jinping's reported assessment that the United States had been a declining nation, but insisted the comment applied to the period when former President Joe Biden was in office.
In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump said Xi's remarks reflected the condition of the United States during the Biden administration and not the current state of the country under his leadership.
According to Trump, the US had undergone what he described as an "incredible rise" during the first 16 months of his presidency and had regained economic and military strength.
The comments came during Trump's high-profile visit to Beijing, where he held extensive talks with Xi on trade, Taiwan, Iran and broader US-China relations.
In his social media post, Trump strongly criticised Biden-era policies, blaming the previous administration for weakening the country economically and socially.
He cited issues such as open borders, inflation, crime, diversity initiatives and trade policies as factors that contributed to what he described as America's earlier decline.
"Our country suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, DEI, horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more," Trump wrote.
He argued that the situation had changed significantly since returning to office and claimed the US economy, stock markets and employment levels were now performing strongly.
Trump also pointed to what he described as military successes abroad and claimed the United States had regained its position as a global economic powerhouse.
The US President claimed that the country was witnessing record levels of foreign investment, stronger employment numbers and improved market performance during his administration.
He stated that the United States had attracted nearly 18 trillion dollars in investments and described the country as "the hottest nation anywhere in the world."
Trump also highlighted what he called the "military decimation" of Iran, while indicating that further military action could continue if required.
In addition, he claimed the US now possessed the strongest military globally and said the administration had ended several diversity and inclusion programmes that he had frequently criticised during his election campaign.
Trump further stated that Xi had congratulated him on what he described as "tremendous successes" achieved within a short period of time.
Trump's remarks came amid a major diplomatic summit in Beijing, where the American and Chinese leaders discussed a range of geopolitical and economic issues.
According to reports, the discussions covered trade relations, tensions surrounding Taiwan, the Iran conflict and the broader future of US-China ties.
Xi reportedly emphasised the importance of cooperation between the world's two largest economies and warned against allowing strategic rivalry to escalate into confrontation.
The meeting is being closely watched internationally amid rising tensions over global trade, security concerns in Asia and instability in the Middle East.
Despite ongoing differences between Washington and Beijing, Trump expressed optimism about the future of bilateral ties with China.
He said he hoped relations between the two countries would become "stronger and better than ever before" following his meetings with Xi.
The US President has repeatedly described his personal relationship with the Chinese leader as positive, even while maintaining tough positions on trade and strategic competition.
Analysts say the summit reflects ongoing efforts by both sides to stabilise relations amid global economic uncertainty and increasing geopolitical tensions across multiple regions.
