Want to win over Trump? Asian leaders see flattery as the magic ingredient

With Donald Trump, flattery will take you everywhere in Gyeongju, South Korea.

Leaders who have met with the president of the United States for the first time since he re-entered the White House in January appear to be at least this way.

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Throughout his five-day tour of the region, which culminated on Thursday with a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump has received praise and gestures of veneration. He has had few equals for bombast and bravado.

Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, praised Trump for his “tenacity” and “courage” in achieving the “almost impossible” goal of bringing Thailand and Cambodia to a ceasefire agreement.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Japan praised Trump for his “inspirational and inspiring” efforts and stated that she had recommended him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump received a golden crown, a replica of an item from the ancient Silla kingdom, and the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, South Korea’s highest decoration.

After months of negotiations, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea all reached final trade agreements with Trump.

Even China, which has had the most powerful and influential relations with Washington under Trump and is at odds with them, has praised the accomplishments.

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” on Monday.

Asian leaders appeared to be going the extra mile to win over Trump in their trade negotiations with his administration, according to Henry Gao, a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and a professor at Singapore Management University.

Gao told Al Jazeera, “Asia has a long history and rich experience in dealing with kings and emperors, and this tradition of showing respect and admiration for leaders is deeply rooted in the area’s culture.”

Leaders from other countries have also been known to flatter Trump in their dealings.

Trump’s involvement in escalating tensions between Israel and Iran was compared to a “daddy” intervening in a schoolyard brawl at a NATO summit in June, according to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Trump’s ego regularly attracts criticism from his critics, including those who have had intimate relationships with him.

In a 2023 interview with CBS News, Trump’s former attorney general said, “He will always put his own interests and gratifying his own ego before everything else, including the country’s interests.”