US president defends his 'nice approach' with Xi Jinping

US President Donald Trump has signalled his willingness to maintain ties with nuclear armed powers such as China and North Korea, while drawing a sharp line on Iran, insisting that Tehran will not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. During an election rally in Ohio, while campaigning for Republican Senate candidate, Trump spoke about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. He said that it is nice to get along with North Korea, which has reportedly 112 nuclear weapons. Great, I get along great with Kim Jong-un. Okay, Kim Jong-un, you know who that is? North Korea. When people have 112 nuclear missiles, it's nice to get along. But here's the difference, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. Now Trump's statement comes at a time when he is constantly pushing for a meeting later this year, while Pyongyang's frosty response suggested that it would set tough conditions for the meeting. Trump had held an unprecedented series of summits with Kim Jong-un in 2018 and 2019, but the diplomatic push ultimately stalled over US demands for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons programme. Since then, Trump has repeatedly referred to North Korea as a nuclear power. Similarly, Trump also defended his approach with Chinese President Xi Jinping, responding to reported criticism over his ties with Xi. Trump asked the audience present at the rally, isn't it nice to get along with the leaders of massive nations, massive nuclear nations? Let's listen in to that part. Xi being nice to President Xi, isn't it nice to get along with the leaders of massive nations, massive nuclear nations? Now his statement underscores the shift in Trump's approach to China. During his earlier trade battles with Beijing, Trump relied heavily on tariffs and economic pressure, with US tariffs on Chinese imports reaching as high as 145% in 2025. But after a period of escalating tensions, Trump and Xi have moved towards negotiations, tariff reductions and closer engagement, with the two leaders now describing their relationship in terms of strategic stability and continued dialogue. Furthermore, both his statements on Xi and Kim suggest that Trump is seeking to maintain and potentially strengthen ties with nuclear-armed powers such as China and North Korea, arguing that it is important to get along with the leaders of major nuclear nations. Yet at the same time, he has drawn a firm line on Iran, repeatedly insisting that Tehran will not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. The contrast comes as both Beijing and Pyongyang maintain long-standing ties with Iran, putting Trump's outreach to nuclear-armed powers alongside his hardline stance on Tehran's nuclear ambitions.