A lip reader claims to have revealed the secret four-word message Donald Trump whispered to Chinese president Xi Jinping and unpacked the 'tension in that moment'.
Donald Trump this week embarked on a five-day diplomacy tour across Asia, which culminated in high-stakes talks with the Chinese premier.
The president arrived in Malaysia on October 26 before making his way over to Japan the following day where he met with Sanae Takaichi, the country's new leader and first-ever female prime minister.
Trump then traveled to South Korea and hosted talks with South Korea's presidential aide Kim Yong-beom and Chinese president Xi Jinping.
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Notably Trump didn't meet with Kim Jung-un. While the POTUS appeared to have been quite keen to sit down with the North Korean leader, Kim was much less enthusiastic.
But aside from the apparent snub from Kim, Trump's negotiations with China in particular went quite well.
And while the pair agreed to a raft of new measures, it was what Trump said behind the scenes which is the most interesting, claims lip reader expert Nicola Hickling.
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In a clip of them together, the expert said that the POTUS said to Xi, as per The Mirror: "We should stick together."
Hickling went on to say of her analysis: "From the moment Trump says 'We should stick together' to the quiet follow-up 'Let's keep working together... OK, I'll speak to you about it... I'm sure we can work something out,' the exchange paints a picture of back-channel diplomacy that cameras caught but the microphones didn't."
"Xi's brief glance down, hesitant nod, and pursed lips speak volumes about the tension in that moment," she added. "It's exactly the kind of off-mic content that gives a sharper global angle on power dynamics, personal tone, and unfiltered dialogue at the world's top table in real time."
What did Trump and Xi Jinping agree to following their meeting?
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Speaking to reporters after the pair's discussions, Trump said while aboard Air Force One that the US would lower tariffs implemented earlier this year as punishment on China for the alleged selling of chemicals used to make fentanyl from 20 percent to 10 percent, bringing the total combined tariff rate on China down from 57 percent to 47.
"I guess on the scale from zero to 10, with ten being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12. I think it was a 12," the POTUS said.
Trump said they also discussed the export of more advanced computer chips to China, saying that Nvidia would be in talks with Chinese officials.
Elsewhere Xi said the two countries would work to finalise their agreements to provide 'peace of mind' for the sake of China, the US and the rest of the world, according to a report on the meeting distributed by state media..
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He added that they should focus on 'the benefits of co-operation rather than falling into a vicious cycle of mutual retaliation'.
Topics: Donald Trump, China, Tariffs, Politics, World News
Niamh Shackleton