The Chinese Nickname for President Trump Is Unsurprisingly Pretty Mean

Over the past 20 years, China has emerged as the main rival to the United States as a global superpower, which is why there is so much attention on the meeting between the country's two leaders.

President Trump and his team went to China in mid-May for a conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and now, headlines are circulating about a nickname Chinese social media users have given to the American president.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the nickname is not very nice. Here's what we know about what it is and what it means.

Trump's new nickname in China is apparently "Chuan Jianguo," a name that has been gaining steam on social media. The name translates to "Trump the Country Builder," and it's meant to be taken a little bit ironically.

In fact, the name refers to Trump's various foreign entanglements, which Chinese social media users are arguing have actually improved China's position in the world.

So essentially, the name is giving credit to Trump for building up China through his partnership with Israel and the war he launched in Iran.

More broadly, though, it seems that Trump's state visit has garnered mixed reactions from the public, which is unsurprising given that it's a country of more than a billion people.

What's undeniable, though, is that the summit is being seen by the American press as a high-stakes moment for Trump.

Although social media users might be suggesting that Trump has strengthened China's hand, the two leaders have already met, and one of the most important things they discussed was the possibility of a conflict over Taiwan.

China has for decades insisted that Taiwan is part of the country, even as Taiwan has insisted that it exists independently of the broader Chinese government.

President Xi said that if the issue of Taiwan isn't handled "properly," it could lead to a breakdown in relations between the two most powerful countries in the world. “Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” he reportedly said during the meeting.

There has long been speculation that Xi would take military action to annex Taiwan, and it's unclear how Trump would respond if that happened.

Trump also invited Xi to a White House visit in September of this year, a signal that the summit had gone relatively smoothly and the two sides would both like to continue talking.

Although there is undoubtedly substantive discussion at these kinds of summits, part of the point is the pomp and circumstance that surrounds them, which is something the president has expressed a love for in the past.

It's unclear whether President Trump is aware of the nickname he's earned on Chinese social media.

These kind of nicknames can sometimes get under his skin, but he's also kept in an information environment where he might never know that some in China think that he has made his own country weaker, and China stronger.