'Asymmetry’: Former US ambassador warns Trump’s praise for Xi signals weakness

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul argued that President Donald Trump’s "effusive praise" for Xi Jinping signals a position of weakness, noting that the one-sided flattery lacks any reciprocation from the Chinese leader.

McFaul, who served as an ambassador from 2012-2014, characterized Trump's "asymmetry of praise" as unprecedented, adding that the Chairman of the Communist Party of China is a "dictator" and an "autocrat". Trump's repeated use of words like "friend" and "great leader" was unnecessary in helping the U.S. relationship with China, in McFaul's view. 

 "I never heard him call the President his friend. I never heard him call a great leader. That asymmetry, I think, is striking," McFaul informed Erielle Reshef during an interview with MS Now.

The comments, coming from an official with a deep geopolitical expertise, do not bode well for America's standing in the global arena. McFaul is sounding the alarm over what he describes as a dangerous imbalance in Donald Trump’s rhetoric toward the Chinese leader.

The total lack of reciprocity, in McFaul's words, may well be a strategic blunder that treats a dictator as an ally, potentially undermining American leverage in the process. McFaul concluded that the summit will be remembered more for its "pageantry" than for its "substance for the American people".

When asked about China's role in ending the war in Iran, McFaul said that there appears to be no assistance from the Chinese president to help America end the war in Iran. "Most certainly, it does not look like President Trump got any agreement from China to help with either Iran or Russia. The words are all nice, but the deliverables from this summit are very thin," he explained.

President Trump informed reporters that China is keen to negotiate an end to the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Xi assured him that Beijing will not assist Iran militarily, according to the Associated Press.

Trump wrapped up his two-day visit with a series of meetings on the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan. The self-governed island remains a contentious issue in the talks. Xi warned Trump in a closed-door meeting that differences over Taiwan can result in a conflict between the two superpowers.

China does not recognize Taiwan's sovereignty, claiming it as a part of its own territory, and in recent years, has increased military activities around the Taiwan Strait. Washington has found a loyal ally in Taipei. There has been some friction in recent months over an $11 billion weapons package approved by the Trump administration for Taiwan.