CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN: 'Trump - From strongman to doorman in one 15 second handshake and no big fat hug'

CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN: 'Trump - From strongman to doorman in one 15 second handshake and no big fat hug'Trump, who promised Americans he would make China pay, ended up flying to Beijing to pay his grovelling respectsNewsopinionChristopher Bucktin United States Editor10:36, 14 May 2026View 4 ImagesXi warned Trump that Taiwan could spark conflict between their nations. Trump said the children were beautiful and amazing(Image: AFP via Getty Images) Donald Trump flew to Beijing this week, still believing he was the most powerful man on earth. He landed, however, behaving like a man who had just won a competition to meet his favourite boy band ‌ There was a time, not so long ago, when the leader of the free world wanted you to know exactly what he thought of China. They were ripping America off. Stealing its jobs. Laughing at its leaders. He was going to fix it, believe him; nobody had ever seen anything like what he was going to do to China. Tremendous tariffs. Bigly pressure. The toughest president in history was going to make Beijing beg. ‌ That was then. ‌ View 4 ImagesChina's President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images) READ MORE: Furious Trump melts down ahead of China visit over leaked Iran war intelOPINIONChristopher BucktinCHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN: 'Donald Trump built himself a Great Wall of trouble; he now owns a China crisis of his own making'Donald Trump