Donald Trump, a man who said on his march to the White House that China was responsible for the “rape” of American workers, now says it’s actually the US’s fault that the two countries have an unbalanced economic relationship.

Speaking to business leaders in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Trump said that he felt US-Chinese trade relations were “very unfair and one-sided.” But when it came to assigning responsibility for the uneven dynamic, he pointed the finger at his own predecessors rather than at Beijing.

“I don't blame China. After all, who can blame a country for taking advantage of another country for the benefit of its citizens?” Trump said, adding that previous US administrations are responsible "for allowing this trade deficit to take place and to grow."

The friendly language stands in stark contrast to his pugnacious rhetoric on the campaign trail, where he singled out China as the world’s greatest threat to American workers.

"We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country and that’s what they’re doing. It’s the greatest theft in the history of the world,” Trump said on his path to the White House in 2016.

His softer approach to China has been apparent throughout his visit. He appears both impressed by Xi’s grip on power in the country — now at an all-time high after the leader was reappointed by the Communist Party for another five-year term — and by the dazzling ceremonies Xi has put on for Trump.

During a joint press conference with Xi Thursday, Trump touted the two leaders’ “great chemistry” and told Xi earnestly, “You’re a very special man.”

Trump has tweeted at least three times about how “beautiful” and “unforgettable” his reception in China has been, even posting a video devoted solely to capturing how grand his welcoming ceremony was.

President Xi, thank you for such an incredible welcome ceremony. It was a truly memorable and impressive display! https://t.co/J9x51h1LBe pic.twitter.com/g4Z7mO5cV9 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2017

China is using symbolic gestures to soften up Trump during negotiations

China has put a great deal of effort into making Trump feel special during his visit, and it seems to be working.

Xi has honored Trump with what Chinese officials described as a “state visit-plus” that included an unusually elaborate greeting for Trump as he stepped off Air Force One, with soldiers standing at attention, children waving Chinese and American flags and chanting, “Welcome,” a delegation of Chinese and American officials, and a military band. Xi also invited Trump and his wife to dinner inside the famed Forbidden City in Beijing — an honor that a US president hasn’t been granted since the founding of modern China.

Ming Wan, a China expert at George Mason University, told CNN that Xi has sought to treat Trump “almost like an emperor."

Analysts say that’s no accident: Xi is trying to use displays of respect to soften up Trump as they go to the negotiating table over thorny issues like how to rein in North Korea.

“The Chinese believe that playing to Trump’s ego effectively will create breathing room on issues where they would otherwise expect to come under pressure,” Andrew Small, a China expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told me.

The Chinese also appear attuned to Trump’s penchant for trumpeting modest symbolic victories, and could be using that to substitute for or distract from more substantive talks that would force big Chinese concessions on the way their economy is structured.

While there are no signs of policy breakthroughs on structural issues like American access to the Chinese market, there have been flashy business deals. On Thursday the US and China announced $250 billion in business agreements between the two countries in the energy, technology, and aviation sectors. The numbers are still tentative, but among other things, Boeing is selling around $40 billon worth of airliners to China.

Those deals may seem on the surface like coups for Trump, but experts say they’re relatively minor moves unlikely to dramatically impact the serious trade imbalance between the two countries.

“I don’t think the deals will noticeably change the bilateral trade deficit,” Caroline Freund, a senior fellow at the pro-free trade Peterson Institute for International Economics, told me.

As Bonnie Glaser, the director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, summed it up on Twitter: “Big purchases, no new market access. Win goes to China.”