Why is a video of Donald Trump looking at Xi Jinping’s notebook going viral online? Know the truth behind it
The Economic TimesImage: The Economic Times
A video has gone viral, leading to massive speculation that US President Donald Trump snooped at a private notebook belonging to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The video emerged as Trump and Xi met for a three-day summit against a backdrop of geopolitical turmoil, including the US-Israeli war against Iran. However, the claim was dismissed after the full-length of the footage from the event shared by the Associated Press and the White House, reveals that the folder actually belonged to Trump.ALSO READ: 'Nothing from China allowed on the plane': Trump team dumps Chinese-issued phones, badges and gifts before boarding Air Force OneTrump accused of snoopingThe clip going viral online does show Trump leaning toward a folder on the table while Xi steps away. This quickly prompted claims on social media that he was “peeking” at Xi’s notes. Misinformation spread rapidly across platforms, including X, with users falsely claiming the American president was peering into the Chinese leader's private papers.ALSO READ: Why did Russian FM Sergey Lavrov say ‘If you don't surrender your phone, they will take out a gun’ during Delhi press conference? However, additional footage from the banquet hints that the folder belonged to Trump, and that the highlighted moment has been taken out of context online.What was the claim?In the viral clip, Xi Jinping is seen getting up from his seat and briefly stepping away from the table. Moments later, Donald Trump, who is seated nearby, appears to lean slightly toward Xi’s side of the table and glance inside a dark-coloured folder or notebook placed there. He looks at it for a few seconds before sitting back normally.Who said what?The video has since gone viral on social media, amassing millions of views and sparking widespread speculation online. "Trump caught sneaking a peek at Xi Jinping's private notebook during a Beijing banquet while Xi stepped away!" account RussiaNews posted with the clip."What If China Arrests Trump for Spying," one account wrote alongside the video. "As Xi Jinping got up and left his seat, Trump reached for the notebook in front of him, glanced at it, and quickly closed it again."Another user posted: "Trump peeked into Xi Jinping’s notebook when he stepped away. He wouldn’t understand Chinese anyway, but he still managed to embarrass himself. – Need to see what he wrote about Biden."X account Moscow News posted with the clip: "As Xi Jinping got up and left his seat, Trump reached for the notebook in front of him, glanced at it, and quickly closed it again. Rubio, standing nearby, observed this but remained silent. This is reminiscent of the scene at the closing session of the 20th CPC National Congress on October 22, 2022, where Hu Jintao reached for the materials in front of Xi Jinping and was subsequently escorted out."What is the truth?Videos circulating on social media have fuelled speculation, but the camera angle and distance in the viral clips make it unclear whose folder Donald Trump was actually looking at or what he was reading. Several versions of the video were also zoomed in, annotated, or edited together, adding to the confusion.However, full-length footage released by the Associated Press and the White House shows that the folder in question actually belonged to Trump himself.In the complete video, Xi Jinping is seen leaving the table to deliver a speech at around the 2:15 mark. While the AP footage follows Xi during his remarks, the White House recording remains focused on Trump, showing him checking the black folder. Later, at around the 11:44 mark in the AP footage, the same folder can again be seen placed to Trump’s left at the table. Moments later, Trump stands up, shakes Xi’s hand, and picks up the notebook before leaving.
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