President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday he was willing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to deal with the ongoing protests in Hong Kong.
“I know President Xi of China very well. He is a great leader who very much has the respect of his people,” Trump said, flattering the Chinese leader on Twitter. “He is also a good man in a ‘tough business.'”
Trump said that President Xi could easily solve the problem “quickly and humanely” without violence as Chinese forces gather at the Hong Kong border.
“I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and humanely solve the Hong Kong problem, he can do it,” Trump wrote. “Personal meeting?”
Protests have been ongoing in Hong Kong since June but have heated up in recent days after the protesters occupied the airport, shutting down travel for two days.
Several lawmakers have condemned the violence against the protesters, earning a sharp rebuke from China.
“They have disregarded the facts, turned what’s black into white, and characterized violent crimes as a beautiful fight for human rights and freedom,” China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement.