Twitter diplomat? Trump wants to arrange meeting between China’s Xi and Hong Kong protesters

Donning his peacemaker cap, US President Donald Trump said he has “no doubt” about a “happy” resolution to Hong Kong’s unrest, suggesting, via tweet, a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and the city’s protest leaders.

The president made the overture on Thursday in his favorite online venue – Twitter – promising that “If President Xi would meet directly and personally with the protesters, there would be a happy and enlightened ending to the Hong Kong problem,” adding with confidence: “I have no doubt!”

The informal offer comes on the heels of another recent proposal for a “personal meeting” between President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, to which Beijing has yet to respond.

This is not the president’s first attempt to mediate a heated international dispute, making a number of offers to help solve India and Pakistan’s conflict over the Kashmir region. While Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan appeared to be open to the idea, the offer was swiftly rebuffed by officials in New Delhi.

Hong Kong has been the scene of mass demonstrations over the last 10 weeks, which have frequently escalated into violent street confrontations with police, initially over a controversial extradition bill that would allow criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for legal proceedings. Though the bill has been suspended, the burgeoning protest movement has made a number of additional demands on the government since, including the resignation of the city’s chief executive, Carrie Lam.

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