They shook hands. They took a long walk. One man touched the other’s arm, then he did it again. They later shook hands some more.
For two leaders at odds on many fronts — Taiwan, trade, rare earth resources, among others — Thursday’s meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping, China’s leader, suggested they wanted the rivalry to be more friendly than not.
The body language stood in stark contrast to Mr. Trump’s harsh criticism of China at home, and to many of his meetings with longtime U.S. allies. The scene was far from tense or combative, as it was when Mr. Trump hosted Ukraine’s president in the Oval Office. Gone was the gruff distance that Mr. Trump kept from Germany’s former chancellor or NATO leaders.
