Trump Says He Was “Astonished” by Jinping’s Authority; Wants a Cabinet That Shows Similar Fear and Discipline

Published on: 06 Nov 2025 at 07:57 AM

Published by: Gill Bikram

Trump Says He Was “Astonished” by Xi Jinping’s Authority; Wants a Cabinet That Shows Similar Fear and Discipline

During a meeting with U.S. Senators on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump shared his recent experience of meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump described Xi as a highly dominant leader and said the atmosphere around him was unlike anything he had seen before.

According to Trump, the members of Xi Jinping’s delegation remained completely silent throughout the meeting. “President Xi is a strong man. A very smart man,” Trump said. “But I’ve never seen people so afraid. They sat there quietly, not saying a word.”

Trump recounted that he had attempted to speak to one of the Chinese officials present, but the person did not respond. “I asked him, ‘Are you going to answer me?’ There was no reply. And President Xi did not allow him to answer,” Trump said.

The U.S. President then turned to Vice President J.D. Vance and added with a hint of humor, “I want my Cabinet to behave like that. Why don’t you behave like that?”

Recent Trump–Xi Meeting

The two leaders had recently met for high-level talks. Trump later described the meeting as “very successful” and claimed that it had led to significant trade-related understandings.

Trump said that the United States would reduce a 20% punitive tariff on chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl — a synthetic opioid linked to overdose deaths — lowering it to 10%. As a result, the overall tariff rate on certain Chinese goods would fall from 57% to around 47%.

In return, China has reportedly agreed to allow increased export of rare earth minerals — which are essential for modern technologies — and to purchase more soybeans from the United States.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, “If I had to rate the meeting on a scale of zero to 10, I would give it a 10 — maybe even a 12.”

Future Visits Planned

Trump also announced that he would travel to China in April, and that Xi Jinping would make a return visit to the United States shortly afterward. The two leaders also discussed restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductor chips, with technology company Nvidia expected to engage directly with Chinese authorities on this issue.

Trump’s remarks reflect his admiration for Xi Jinping’s tightly controlled leadership style — even as relations between Washington and Beijing continue to balance between competition and negotiation.