Stunning similarities between Trump and Xi

Both Trump and Xi are certainly born fighters. But I hope they use their flexibility to display the spirit of compromise.

YOU SANG-CHULThe author is the head of the China Institute of the JoongAng Ilbo and CEO of China Lab. The era of Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will open again next year. The two G2 leaders are different yet share many similarities worth noting. First of all, both are strongmen. British journalist Gideon Rachman said the strongman leadership have four things in common: a cult of personality, ignoring the rule of law, claiming to represent the people rather than the elite, and a politics driven by fear and nationalism.

Trump and Xi also advocate similar slogans. Xi champions “Chinese dream” to realize the great revival of the Chinese people, going back to the pre-Opium War era before 1840, when China was the most powerful country in the world. Trump advocates “Make America Great Again” (MAGA), as in the 1950s when Trump was a child. Most of the population was white, and America was the factory of the world. The United States was materialistically abundant and spiritually comfortable, as portrayed in “Return of Trump,” a book by Cho Byung-je, a former chancellor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.

Both Xi and Trump claim that only they can realize Chinese dream and MAGA, respectively. Since only they can make it happen, they seek to stay in power for a long time. Xi has already opened the way for lifetime presidency by eliminating the constitutional clause on the two-term limit. When Trump met Xi in 2018, he claimed that there are also moves in the United States to remove the term limit. In that case, he could stay in presidency for decades, according to Trump’s aides.

Both leaders consider loyalty as a main criterion for recruiting people. Xi’s principle is to promote the competent and demote the incompetent. Trump demands his nominees to be faithful to him, not laws. Both are born rich but are trained to be frugal. Xi dyed his sister’s floral shoes black and wore them — Trump made pocket money by selling empty bottles — when both were young.

They got into trouble by fighting in school, despised weakness and didn’t bend to the strong. Nevertheless, both leaders are surprisingly flexible and pursue practical interests. Xi said that wise men change according to the times. Trump said that just as putting in golf is different every time, a path and policy can always change. As they like flexibility, a wall doesn’t need to be drilled if there’s a way to pass through without it.

Both Trump and Xi are certainly born fighters. But I hope they use their flexibility to display the spirit of compromise.