President Trump on Thursday pushed back against suggestions that Chinese President Xi Jinping views the United States as a declining power, arguing that any such remarks were directed at the Biden administration rather than America under his leadership.

In a lengthy Truth Social post published during his visit to Beijing, Trump said Xi’s comments referred to what he described as the damage done to the country during Joe Biden’s presidency.

“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 on Truth Social. “Our Country suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everybody, men in women’s sports, DEI, horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more!”

It was not immediately clear which specific remarks Trump was referencing. Public summaries of the summit and media reports did not show Xi directly calling the United States a nation in decline, although Chinese officials and commentators have increasingly promoted rhetoric emphasizing “the rise of the East and decline of the West.” Newsmax reported that it contacted the White House seeking clarification.

Trump continued his post by contrasting what he described as America’s current resurgence with the conditions he said existed before his return to office.

Trump continued: “President Xi was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration, which includes all-time high stock markets and 401K’s, military victory and thriving relationship in Venezuela, the military decimation of Iran. (to be continued!)

“Strongest military on earth by far, economic powerhouse again, with a record 18 trillion dollars being invested into the United States by others, best U.S. job market in history, with more people working in the United States right now than ever before, ending country destroying DEI, and so many other things that it would be impossible to readily list.

“In fact, President Xi congratulated me on so many tremendous successes in such a short period of time. Two years ago, we were, in fact, a Nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi! 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!”

Trump’s comments came as Chinese political figures, academics, and state-linked media outlets continue to argue that internal division and political instability have weakened the United States — themes that have become increasingly common in Chinese rhetoric during Trump’s political rise and return to the White House.

{Matzav.com}