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... "When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct," the president wrote in a post on Truth Social. "Our Country suffered immeasurably with open borders, high taxes, transgender for everybody, men in women's sports, DEI, horrible trade deals, rampant crime, and so much more!"

Trump did not point to a specific comment made by Xi. But the post comes after his Chinese counterpart, in opening remarks at a U.S.-China bilateral meeting, questioned if the two nations could overcome the "Thucydides Trap" -- a theory suggesting that when a rising power threatens to displace an established one, a war could result.

Xi in 2021 also said, "The East is rising and the West is declining." The White House did not clarify the quote referenced in Trump's post in response to The Hill's request for comment.

The president added on social media that China's leader "was not referring to the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration," referencing matters such as the military operation in Venezuela and the war with Iran. ...