Who is Xi Jinping, why is China waging a ‘People’s War’ on the US, and what has he said about Trump?

PRESIDENT Xi Jinping may well be the most powerful man in the world - but who is he?

Here we reveal who he is, where he was born, and why he is starting a trade war with the US...

Who is Xi Jinping?

Xi Jinping is China's all-powerful President.

He was born in 1953 in Bejing, and steadily climbed the ranks of China's ruling Communist Party until he ascended to the Presidency in November 2012.

Since taking office, Jinping has overseen a radical shake-up of the party, including taking down top leaders once thought untouchable as part of his popular war on deep-rooted corruption.

Jinping cemented his status as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao at last year's twice-a-decade Communist Party congress.

During that congress his name and a political theory attributed to him were added to the party constitution as he was given a second five-year term as general secretary.

Why is China waging a 'People's War' on the US?

The basis for the dispute lies with the US President Donald Trump wanting to “Make America Great Again” and part of that is to redress what he sees has unfair trade deals the US has agreed to in the past.

He wants to bring more production back into the country as a way to protect US jobs, he believes such past agreements have been a rip-off for the US.

During the 2016 election campaign, Trump accused Beijing of “raping” US workers.

The Chinese Premier Xi Jinping is also a leader who is said to not want to be seen to back down with both leaders seeing the honour of their nation at stake.

What has he said about Donald Trump?

Xi’s views can be seen in an article in the state-owned Chinese newspaper the People’s Daily which accused the US of misjudging China's "strength, capability and willpower" and of taking a "risky and impetuous decision."

It added: “The trade war in the United States is the creation of one person and his administration who have swept along the entire population of the country.

“Whereas the entire country and all the people of China are being threatened. For us, this is a real 'people's war'.”

And in a statement read out during the 7pm news on state broadcaster CCTV, Beijing said it would “fight for a new world.”

China's foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on May 14: "The two heads of state maintain contact through various means."

But behind the façade tensions have mounted and the latest talks ended last week without any sign of an agreement.

Mr Geng told a news briefing in Beijing that China would "never surrender to external pressure".