Trump Xi Beijing summit backlash erupts after photo shows no women seated at the negotiating table

Only male officials sat at the formal table—social media exploded

Photos from Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People sparked global backlash after observers noted an all-male lineup at the formal negotiating table. Critics say the absence of women from both US and Chinese delegations sends a troubling signal about who gets a voice in high-stakes power politics. Harvard economist Gita Gopinath called it an “end of meritocracy,” while Stanford’s Halima Kazem argued leaders chose a “masculine, militarized” diplomatic image despite available qualified women.