Donald Trump’s public interaction with President Xi Jinping during his state visit to China had body language experts closely analyzing the pair’s long handshake. The moment came as both leaders prepared for talks on trade, global conflicts, and tensions involving Taiwan and Iran.
Body language expert decodes Donald Trump and President Xi’s handshake
Xi Jinping welcomed Donald Trump outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. There, the two leaders shared a handshake that lasted around 10 seconds. Trump appeared to initiate the greeting before placing his left hand over Xi’s and gently patting it several times while the pair continued speaking.
Experts said the exchange stood out because Trump avoided the aggressive handshake style he has often displayed with other world leaders in the past. Psychologist and author Peter Collett told Newsweek that Xi remained calm and reserved during the interaction. According to Collett, this gave the impression “that Trump is doing all the work, both literally and figuratively.”
Further adding, “Trump did not deploy his usual ‘yank-shake’ handshake style in this meeting, which he typically uses to assert dominance. “There appear to be two occasions when he doesn’t do this – either when there’s no need to be overbearing or when he considers the other person to be his equal,” Collett said.
Additionally, the handshake also differed from the more formal tone seen during Trump and Xi’s earlier meetings during the former’s first term in office. Business etiquette expert Isabelle Vladoiu told The New York Post that there appeared to be more ease and familiarity between the two men this time.
“Compared to the more conservative and rigidly ceremonial interaction in 2017, tonight’s ceremony appeared significantly more jovial, conversational, and personally interactive,” she said. Further adding that Xi, who is usually highly reserved in public appearances, spent noticeably more time engaging directly with Trump during the ceremony.
After the greeting ceremony, Xi met members of Trump’s delegation. The two leaders later attended bilateral talks, where Trump called it “an honor” to meet Xi and said he hoped ties between the United States and China would become “better than ever before.”
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
