After completing the final leg of his diplomatic Asia tour, Donald Trump returned to Washington. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged pleasantries during their hour-and-40-minute-long meetup in South Korea, videos from which are going viral on social media. Some of the videos from the Trump-Xi Jinping meetup that are doing the rounds on social media are circulating sans audio, prompting lip-readers to analyze what the two leaders whispered about.
Lip-reading specialist Nicola Hickling tried decoding the silent footage and told The Irish Star that the four-word whisper by Trump was this: “We should stick together.”
President Donald J. Trump and President Xi Jinping meet in South Korea. pic.twitter.com/F59Kzm9R5t
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 30, 2025
Nicola explained, “From the moment Trump says ‘We should stick together’ to the quiet follow-up ‘Let’s keep working together… okay, I’ll speak to you about it… I’m sure we can work something out,’ the exchange paints a picture of back-channel diplomacy that cameras caught but the microphones didn’t.”
According to the lip-reading expert, Trump’s quiet whisper was followed by Xi Jinping’s hesitant demeanor. “Xi’s brief glance down, hesitant nod, and pursed lips speak volumes about the tension in that moment,” she added.
As a part of her lip-reading interpretation, Nicola Hickling also added, “It’s exactly the kind of off-mic content that gives a sharper global angle on power dynamics, personal tone, and unfiltered dialogue at the world’s top table in real time.”
Meanwhile, Trump, in a long Truth Social entry, said that he had a “truly great meeting” with Chinese President Xi Jinping for strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations. Among the breakthroughs, Trump claimed, was China resuming large-scale purchases of US farm goods, oil, and gas.
“We agreed on many things…China has agreed to continue the flow of Rare Earth, Critical Minerals, Magnets, etc., openly and freely,” Trump added in his post. The US President claimed in his Truth Social post, “There is enormous respect between our two Countries, and that will only be enhanced with what just took place.”
Read Donald Trump’s full statement here:
Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 04:06 AM EST 10/30/25 pic.twitter.com/x0JfRuE0Ae
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) October 30, 2025
Meanwhile, at the meeting between the world leaders that was televised, Trump and Xi were all praises for each other. The Chinese President said that “it feels warm” to see Trump despite the nations’ “frictions now and then.”
“In the face of winds, waves and challenges, you and I at the helm of China and U.S. relations should stay the right course and ensure the steady sailing forward of the giant ship of China-US relations,” Xi Jinping told Trump during the official meeting.
“I always believe that China’s development goes hand-in-hand with your vision to make America great again. Our two countries are fully able to help each other succeed and prosper together,” the Chinese President added.
As for Trump, he labeled Xi as a “great leader of a great country.” He went on to add, “We’re going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time.”
Before meeting the Chinese President, Trump kick-started his Asia diplomatic tour earlier this week. As a part of his tour, Trump also met South Korean President Lee Jae Myun and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Trump danced in Malaysia and also attended the 2025 APEC CEO Summit in South Korea.
After concluding his Asia tour, Trump shared a post on Truth Social, calling it a “spectacular success.” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Worked really hard, 24/7, took in Trillions of Dollars, and Chuck Schumer said the trip was a ‘total dud,’ even though he knows it was a spectacular success. Words like that are almost treasonous!!”
Trump’s post was in response to Chuck Schumer, who described the US President’s Asia tour as a “total dud,” adding, “In fact, the biggest news out of this trip is that Donald Trump seems to have realized he can’t run for a third term. That just goes to show you how fruitless this trip has been.”
