Standing outside his friend’s cupcake shop, he says Donald Trump’s levies are a sign that America feels threatened by China’s rise. America’s power is declining, he says. “To be honest, what you feel in today’s world is that hegemony is very hard to achieve.

On Monday, after Xi's visit, Beijing warned countries against signing trade deals with the U.S. "at the expense of China’s interest."

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has broken his silence on the deepening trade war with the United States, saying there will be "no winners." He warned President Donald Trump that China is "not afraid"—and shortly after his statement, Beijing announced reciprocal tariffs of 125% on all U.S. imports.