Confidence - Henry Alfred Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State

Following the September 3rd military parade in Beijing, Kissinger said that “I have contacted with and talked to President Xi several times. He is a very assertive person with rich personal experience. I think he is one of the greatest leaders in China.”

That view of Xi’s personality is something that has resonated even in US President Barack Obama’s comments. While speaking to CEOs of major US companies in Washington in December 2014, Obama said that Xi had left a “deep impression” on him for having become “so influential in China in only one or two-years.”