Donald Trump Calls Xi Jinping 'Very Tall' Even Though Chinese People 'Tend to Be a Little Shorter'

President Donald Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity that Chinese President Xi Jinping is "very tall, especially for this country, because they tend to be a little bit shorter,” as critics quickly labeled the statement as racially insensitive.

The comment was made on Thursday, May 14, during an interview amid a high-stakes bilateral summit in Beijing.

Trump used a Hollywood metaphor to praise Xi's presence and stature during his state visit, telling Hannity that Xi looks like he is from "central casting," meaning he perfectly fits the cinematic look of a leader.

He added, "Even his physical features — he’s tall, very tall. Especially for this country, because they tend to be a little bit shorter."

Trump framed the description as a compliment, noting that Hollywood could not find a better actor to play the role of the Chinese leader.

“I think he’s a warm person, actually, but he’s all business. There’s no games. There’s no talking about how nice the weather is. 'Aw, let’s look at the stars, let’s look at the sun,' you know. No, he’s all business, and I like that. That’s a good thing. No games. I say it about him, and I could say it about some, not as complimentary, frankly, for the most part, but I say about him that if he went to Hollywood and looked for a leader of China to play a role in a movie–“ he said.

“Central casting,” Hannity interrupted.

“He’s central casting. You couldn’t find a guy like him. Even his physical features, you know. He’s tall, very tall. And especially for this country, because they tend to be a little bit shorter. You look at the military. I mean, the military today was incredible. That military marching was incredible. But no, if you went to Hollywood, you would not find that. You aren’t going to find a guy to play the role who’s good,” the POTUS concluded.

While critics blasted Trump’s racially insensitive slight, others noted the irony regarding the leaders' heights.

Xi stands at approximately 5 feet 11 inches, whereas Trump claims a height of 6 feet 3 inches, meaning Xi is actually shorter than Trump despite the "very tall" characterization.

This is not Trump's first time focusing on height while traveling.

In February, Trump went viral for joking that a previous lineup of Chinese honor guard soldiers was so perfectly matched in height that "if they put their helmets down, you could have played pool on the top of their heads."

This latest summit concluded without yielding a diplomatic breakthrough regarding the 77-day-old U.S.-led war in Iran.

The high-stakes, 40-hour meeting ended on Friday, May 15, without producing a formal agreement on crucial global security issues, most notably the reopening of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.

Critics and opposition lawmakers have heavily scrutinized the outcome, labeling Trump’s diplomatic strategy a failure due to unreciprocated concessions and a lack of assertiveness on the world stage.