Trump shakes ‘good friend’ Xi’s hand for nearly 27 seconds during Asia summit: Internet reacts

This meeting marked the first in-person conversation between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping since 2019.

United States President Donald Trump met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in South Korea. They met at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit following months of rising tension between the two countries. The pair greeted each other with a handshake that lasted for nearly 27 seconds, a moment that has sparked many social media reactions.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk after a bilateral meeting. (REUTERS)

The video is now circulating widely across social media. Reacting to the moment, a YouTube user wrote, “Why does he always have to be so touchy, shaking hands, holding on way too long?”

Another added, “27-second handshake from Trump and XI! Really?!” A few also noted that, although Trump appeared excited, Xi, in comparison, maintained a cold demeanour. An X user shared, “Xi doesn’t care about Trump. Look how he is not reacting.”

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping’s meeting:

While shaking hands, they posed in front of the camera. Following this, they left to have a private conversation. The American leader later said that the meeting with his Chinese counterpart was "a great success". He said that the talks were “12 on a scale of one to 10.” After the meeting, Trump boarded Air Force One to return to the USA.

“The very very distinguished and respected President of China and we will be having some discussions, I think we have already agreed to a lot of things and we will agree to some more right now. But President Xi is a great leader of a great country and I think we're going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time — and it's an honor to have you with us,” Trump said while talking about Xi, adding that the Chinese leader was a “great friend.”

It was the first time since 2019 that the two world leaders had a face-to-face interaction. The last time they met was on the sidelines of the G20 in Japan. Trump, at that time, was serving his first term as the US President.