Gyeongju, South Korea – With Donald Trump, flattery will get you everywhere.
At least that appears to be the attitude of leaders who have been meeting with the United States president on his first visit to East and Southeast Asia since he re-entered the White House in January.
A leader with few equals for bombast and bravado, Trump has been showered with praise and gestures of veneration throughout his five-day tour of the region, which culminated in Thursday’s high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In Malaysia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised Trump for his “tenacity” and “courage” in achieving the “almost impossible” task of securing a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gushed to Trump about how “impressed and inspired” she was by his peace efforts and said she had recommended him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In South Korea, President Lee Jae Myung gifted Trump a golden crown, a replica of an artefact from the ancient Silla kingdom, and the country’s highest decoration, the Grand Order of Mugunghwa.
The outpouring of flattery came as Malaysia, Japan and South Korea all finalised trade deals with Trump after months of negotiations.
Even China, the country closest to matching the US in power and influence and whose relations with Washington have been particularly strained under Trump, has heaped on the praise.
On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi referred to Trump and Xi as “world-class leaders” who have “interacted over a long period and respect each other”.
While smiles and handshakes are staples of diplomacy, Asian leaders appeared to be going the extra mile to curry favour with Trump in their trade negotiations with his administration, said Henry Gao, a professor at Singapore Management University and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation.
“Asia has a long history and rich experience in dealing with kings and emperors, and this tradition of showing respect and admiration towards leaders is deeply rooted in the region’s culture,” Gao told Al Jazeera.
Leaders elsewhere have also been known to lay on the flattery in their dealings with Trump.
At a NATO summit in June, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte likened Trump’s role in mediating tensions between Israel and Iran to a “daddy” intervening in a schoolyard brawl.
Trump’s ego has been a regular target of his critics, including those who have dealt with him extensively in person.
“He will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else, including the country’s interest,” Bill Barr, Trump’s former attorney general, said in a 2023 interview with CBS News.
“There’s no question about it.”
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