Experts assess the gestures of Trump, Xi Jinping and their wives — South China Morning Post
In Washington, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit came to an end, body language experts drew attention to the different ways the two couples interacted. According to the South China Morning Post, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, as well as US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, visited the National Archives Museum together.
The couples’ gestures
Nonverbal communication expert Patti Wood noted that Xi and Peng walked up the stairs holding hands and moved in sync. In her opinion, this gesture looked natural. Before entering the building, they stopped holding hands, but, according to Wood’s assessment, their positioning in relation to each other remained coordinated.
Wood compared this with the behavior of Trump and Melania Trump. According to her observations, they walked at a greater distance, did not match each other’s pace, and their postures appeared tense. As they left the museum, the Trumps also held hands. The expert described the president’s movement as abrupt, but after the farewell, as the couple headed toward the car, the gesture appeared more natural to her, although tension remained in it.
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Visit to the National Archives
At the museum, Trump showed Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan historical documents, including the US Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Wood drew attention to an episode in which Peng Liyuan approached her husband from behind and touched him while he leaned over to examine a document. She assessed the movement as an unforced expression of a desire to be close to him at that moment.
Another expert, Lillian Glass, saw signs of rapport between Xi Jinping and Trump during the state dinner. According to her, the Chinese leader repeatedly tilted his head toward Trump and turned his body toward him, while the US president responded by turning directly toward Xi. Glass also believed that Trump’s head tilt while greeting Xi and Peng Liyuan created an impression of warmth, attentiveness and respect.
