Trump calls Chinese president his friend, praising him as tough, smart

US President Donald Trump described Chinese President Xi Jinping as a “tough” and “very smart” person.

The American leader made the remarks during a breakfast with senators, noting that he considers the Chinese leader his friend “as much as possible,” Caliber.Az reports.

“He’s a tough man, very smart,” the president noted.

Trump also added that journalists do not like it when he speaks positively about the intellect of foreign counterparts.

In recent months, relations between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have entered a phase of cautious cooperation following years of economic and geopolitical rivalry.

During their meeting in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025, the two leaders agreed to partially ease trade tensions, with Washington reducing certain tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing pledging to resume large-scale imports of US soybeans while maintaining the export of rare-earth materials.

They also established a joint working group to curb the export of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to the United States, marking one of the first collaborative steps between the two administrations in years.

By Jeyhun Aghazada