Superpower showdown: trump and xi's 2017 clash – a retrospective

A decade after a trade war loomed, a BBC documentary revisits the tense relationship between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The film, Clash of the Superpowers: America vs China, offers a jarring glimpse into a moment when global politics felt almost comical.

Xi's davos debut sets the stage for economic conflict

The documentary opens with Xi Jinping's 2017 appearance at the Davos forum, where he championed free trade – a calculated move preceding Donald Trump's inauguration. Trump's campaign rhetoric, which painted China as a predatory economic force, signaled an impending clash. This initial scene immediately establishes the film's unusual tone: a detached observation of unfolding power dynamics.

National security advisor HR McMaster described Trump as “reflexively contrarian,” a leader resistant to conventional briefing methods. This characteristic created a volatile dynamic, where any suggestion could be flipped on its head. Even a direct statement from Trump, stating he didn't blame China for exploiting the US, failed to faze Xi.

The film highlights the stark contrast in approaches: Trump’s unconventional tactics versus Xi’s calculated, methodical strategy. While Trump hosted Xi at Mar-a-Lago, breaking diplomatic norms, Xi responded with a carefully orchestrated display of military might in the South China Sea. The underlying rationality of Xi's actions underscored the unpredictable nature of the US leader.

At the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in 2018, the tension escalated. While Xi maintained composure, Trump's advisors struggled to navigate the negotiations. A moment of unintentional humor arises when Trump attempts to leverage his personal relationship with Xi, only to reveal a lack of strategic understanding. This captured the awkwardness of the situation, revealing a leader seemingly outmatched.

The film's power lies in its use of firsthand accounts from Trump’s inner circle, who offer candid reflections on the challenges of engaging with the unpredictable president. The narrative avoids simple narratives of right and wrong, instead presenting a complex interplay of ambition, ideology, and political maneuvering. The swiftness with which Trump’s team realized they were “at a dressage competition” with Xi highlights the disconnect between their approaches.

Clash of the Superpowers: America vs China is not a nostalgic look back. It’s a stark reminder of a period when global power dynamics shifted dramatically, and the world watched with a mixture of apprehension and bewilderment. The documentary serves as a cautionary study in the perils of misjudging a rival.

The film aired on BBC Two and is available on iPlayer.

The documentary underscores a point often overlooked: the early years of the Trump presidency were a period of unprecedented disruption to established international norms. The implications of that disruption continue to shape global affairs today, a testament to the enduring impact of those early confrontations.