The phony giant

[kiaa]

There's an old children's book, Mr Thur Thur. It's about a false giant. The further you go from him, the bigger he looks. And the closer you step, the more he shrinks. Facing him directly, you'd just see an old man who can't scare anyone.

From Xi Jinping's vantage point, Trump may've resembled Mr Thur Thur during their meeting. While Trump was touring Vietnam and the Philippines, he was assertive and sharp and menacing about China - from a safe distance. He was fuming over the currency war, and China's theft of intellectual property, etc. He even threatened China with sanctions and trade restrictions.

And then he visited China. Suddenly he was soft like a puppy, praising his Chinese counterpart, admiring his might and political prowess. As if flattery would impress anyone who's not a kindergartener. Hey, Trump even temporarily changed his Twitter photo to one where he's posing at the Forbidden City in Beijing alongside his Chinese host. Suddenly the ominous giant was nowhere to be seen.

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