A viral clip circulating online this week has sparked discussion on social media after some users claimed it shows President Donald Trump appearing to open what is described as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s notebook during a diplomatic interaction.
Read more: When Trump and Xi met
“Video of the Day”
“Trump was caught on camera sneaking a peek at Xi Jinping’s private notebook, but unfortunately they were in mandarin,” one user wrote on X as clips of the interaction gained traction online.
The footage prompted users to sarcastically joke that Trump had “magically learned Mandarin.”
Several users reposted the clip of Trump flipping through the notebook with exaggerated commentary and mocking him, saying he was “translating Mandarin in real time.”
“If any of that was in English, Trump would blab about it and somehow spin it into how Xi admires Trump,” a user on X wrote, mocking Trump.
Another user on X labelled the clip “Video of the day.” He shared the clip and wrote, “Video of the Day: Trump looks into Xi Jinping’s personal notebook as the Chinese leader walks away.”
Another user shames Trump and calls him “kleptomaniac” for the act and wrote, “Is Donald Trump suffering from kleptomania? See how he peeps into the personal file of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is purely the act of a disgraceful man. Shame on Trump!”
Read more: Five Takeaways From the Trump-Xi Summit
What does the clip actually show?
The incident happened while Trump was in China on a state visit. Just after the Chinese leader stood up, the POTUS is seen on camera at the official state dinner at the Great Hall of the People bending over and opening a black leather folder next to Jinping’s seat.
Trump was allegedly spying on Xi, according to early social media commentary, but OK Magazine reported that observers noted that the folder included a U.S. presidential seal.
A user on X wrote, “Community Note: This is Trump’s folder (US seal visible), not Xi’s. Selectively clipped banquet footage misleads about the entire scene.” When Trump later gets up to make a toast, he is seen grabbing the same folder.
Another user on X noted the seal and gave context of the whole video. The user wrote, “NO TRUMP WAS NOT SNEAKING INTO XI JINPING’S NOTEBOOK, IT WAS HIS OWN. Once you watch the full Chinese feed, the narrative changes completely. The notebook was placed at Trump’s seat ahead of time. After Xi finished his toast, Trump openly picked it up in front of Xi and the room and proceeded to the podium.”
