Can the Xi-Trump 'bromance' be revived? Else, ties may fray

Cordiality between the two leaders would favour both countries

- KARISHMA VASWANI

Xi Jinping and Donald Trump's bromance could be rekindled in 2025, if both sides play their cards right. This is positive and would help create the right environment for an improvement in ties between the two superpowers, but timing and tone are everything. The rivals will need to give and take to prevent the relationship from getting worse.

There are potential signs of a rapprochement. It was a smart move by the US president-elect to invite Xi to his inauguration in January (the Chinese leader reportedly turned it down), but future attempts need to be more than just empty gestures to make a real difference. A face-to-face meeting soon is essential to set the tone of the bilateral relationship over the next four years. The alternative is continued misunderstanding, which in the worst-case scenario, could lead to actual conflict.

During Trump's first term, he talked up his warm ties with Xi, going so far as to say the two leaders "love each other." Still, that didn't stop the then-US president from imposing harsh trade tariffs on Beijing, the start of a big shift in US-China relations that solidified under the Biden administration.