Xi's 'US Is Declining' Remark Gets Trump's '100% Correct' Reply, Blames 'Sleepy Joe Biden'

Last Updated:May 15, 2026, 09:26 IST

It remained unclear whether Trump was referring to remarks Xi made during private discussions or in a public setting in Beijing.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarks about the United States being a “declining nation" were aimed at the Joe Biden administration and not at America under his leadership.

In a post on Truth Social ahead of the second day of his summit with Xi in Beijing, Trump defended his administration’s record and claimed the US had undergone an “incredible rise" over the past 16 months.

“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct," Trump wrote.

It remained unclear whether Trump was referring to remarks Xi made during private discussions or in a public setting in Beijing. During the first day of the visit, Xi did not use the phrase “declining nation", but he did warn against falling into the “Thucydides Trap" — a concept in international relations linked to the rise of Athens challenging Sparta’s dominance.

During his opening remarks in Beijing, Xi, according to a live translation, said, “The world has come to a new crossroads. Can China and the US overcome the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and create a new paradigm of major-country relations?"

During the meeting with Trump, Xi also referred to “great changes unseen in a century", a remark seen as signalling a shift away from the post-World War II global order led largely by the United States.

Trump further accused the Biden administration of causing damage through “open borders, high taxes, horrible trade deals, rampant crime" and other policies. Trump also attacked diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and policies related to transgender rights.

The US President claimed America was now experiencing economic and military strength under his leadership, citing “all-time high stock markets", a strong job market and what he described as renewed global standing. He also referred to the “military decimation of Iran" and said the US was once again an “economic powerhouse."

Trump further said Xi had congratulated him on his “tremendous successes" and expressed hope that relations between Washington and Beijing would improve.

“Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi," Trump said. “But now, the United States is the hottest Nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before."

News world Xi's 'US Is Declining' Remark Gets Trump's '100% Correct' Reply, Blames 'Sleepy Joe Biden'

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