Trump urges Xi to meet Hong Kong protesters for a 'happy' end to tensions

A source familiar with the deliberations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that while an even-handed approach was smart, it was not the right signal to send in this case

US President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet personally with the protesters in Hong Kong, saying it would lead to an end to tensions that have seized the territory for weeks.

"If President Xi would meet directly and personally with the protesters, there would be a happy and enlightened ending to the Hong Kong problem. I have no doubt!" Trump tweeted.

Trump's tweet came a day after he tied a US trade deal with China to a humane resolution of the weeks of protests wracking Hong Kong. He made that comment hours after the State Department said