The feud between China and the United States has taken a new turn as leaders Xi Jinping and Donald Trump count their birthday presents.

Xi turned 67 on Monday while Trump celebrated his 74th birthday on Sunday.

In China, the media remained quiet on Xi’s birthday. An exception was the Central Party School’s Study Time. The newspaper ran a commentary that likened Xi’s Socialist China to Marxism of the 21st Century.

For veteran China watcher Johnny Lau, the piece was to glorify Xi and to create an impression that the paramount leader has achieved marvelous results in various fields. However, on a closer look, the praise was empty and only highlighted Xi’s lack of concrete attainment, he said.

Another present that may be less welcomed was the new wave of coronavirus infection in Beijing. On Monday, the capital’s party secretary Cai Qi said the city was entering a war-time emergency as 49 new cases were confirmed. Beijing had previously seen no new local cases for 55 days but has reported a total of 79 cases over the past four days.

Further overshadowing Xi’s birthday is Newsweek’s cover story, titled “The End of Hong Kong: Beijing Gobbles up the Territory's Freedom. Who's Next?" The cover image shows Xi slicing up a bauhinia — the emblem of Hong Kong — and eating it. Two petals dangle from Xi’s mouth, resembling wolf teeth.

In the United States, the White House has made no announcement on how Trump spent his birthday on Sunday. His present came in the form of a new settlement in Israel named after him, according to Russian television channel RT. The report — titled “Happy Birthday, Mr President” — said the Israeli government approved the project on Trump’s birthday.

Supporters also held a flotilla of several hundred boats and a car parade to celebrate Trump’s birthday. This came as Black Lives Matter protests against racism continue in the country.

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