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Opinion
How Trump’s China visit may hint the ‘2 eyes of the world’ are learning to live together
The twin superpowers may be slowly learning lessons from the ancient rivalry between Rome and Persia
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Chow Chung-yan began his journalistic career at the South China Morning Post and rose to become editor-in-chief in 2025.
It is hard not to be impressed by the sheer energy Donald Trump displayed during his whirlwind visit to Beijing.
Within just 43 hours, the 79-year-old president held two meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, inspected troops, attended a state banquet and walked around the Temple of Heaven in sweltering heat – not to mention making his characteristic social media postings in the wee hours of the morning.
Showing no signs of jet lag, Trump seemed to be in high spirits, glad-handing everyone he met and looking genuinely happy. In Beijing, he was on his best behaviour, temporarily abandoning the signature antics he has so often deployed to bamboozle other world leaders. He followed protocol, spoke like a consummate diplomat and – despite his well-known abstinence from alcohol – even appeared to take a sip of champagne when toasting his Chinese hosts.
And it was not just Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio – who remains on China’s sanctions list – looked relaxed and friendly. A video of him admiring the ornate ceiling inside Beijing’s Great Hall of the People quickly went viral.
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