Trump gave Xi a bald eagle. Xi promised America two pandas. Behind the diplomatic symbolism sits a larger shift: China’s international standing is improving as trust in the United States declines.

President Donald Trump presented a statue of a bald eagle to President Xi Jinping when they met in Washington on 24 September saying that he hoped it would find a “nice place” in Beijing. The gift of an eagle, the national symbol of the USA, was clearly full of meaning, but different people may have different interpretations of the exchange. (By the way, bald eagles are not bald. They have white ‘bald’ heads.)

This was the second meeting this year between the two superpower heads, coming at a critical juncture when the world faces a looming energy crunch, a debt crisis, continuing wars in the Ukraine, Palestine and Iran, and global concern about AI regulation. It was a strangely muted occasion, largely due to the American press boycott of the White House.

The gift of a bald eagle statue to the visiting Chinese leader is not a Trojan horse, signifying expansionist intent, but surely indicates that Trump hopes that Xi will respect Washington’s views on international affairs. This is not likely to happen. I suspect that Xi, when he unpacks the eagle statue back home in Beijing, will think, “Who is to blame for the present global chaos? Surely, he should take the lead in resolving it.”

Who could blame him for thinking this? China did not invade Iran. China continues to support the United Nations and the international rules-based order. Xi told Trump and the world, “China has . . . consistently played a constructive role in easing tensions and de-escalating the situation.” The consistent Chinese position is that they are a........

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