Washington– A moment ago, President Donald Trump Lands in Beijing On Wednesday, all eyes will be on how much of a spectacle the Chinese government will provide, such as who is lined up to greet him, what music is being played, and whether Chinese and American children are waving flowers and flags.
In China’s strictly hierarchical world of diplomacy, protocol and ceremony carry great weight. Trump’s reception is expected to be warm and tailored to flattery, indicative of Beijing’s tactical approach to a US leader known for his love of pomp, but it is unlikely to top the “state visit plus” extravaganza President Xi Jinping gave Trump in 2017.
“It reflects China’s greater confidence in its position, its greater skepticism of Trump, and the awkwardness of the current relationship,” said Rash Doshi, an Asia studies fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an assistant professor of security studies at Georgetown University.
In the past nine years, the relationship between China and the United States has shifted from engagement to competition and declined to a low point during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trade wars.
Experts say China’s economic clout and ability to leverage its dominance in the global supply chain has allowed the Chinese leadership to negotiate from a position of strength and led to a more realistic China policy by the Trump administration. And now War with IranThe policy, which closed the Strait of Hormuz and shook the global economy, gave Xi the upper hand at the summit.
WarThe war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on February 28, delayed Trump’s visit, which was initially scheduled for the end of March. Now, Trump is going to Beijing for a shorter stay than in 2017, and without First Lady Melania Trump.
“The context of this visit is completely different,” said Danny Russell, a former senior US diplomat, who does not expect Beijing to outdo itself this time in welcoming Trump. “The one-day schedule has basically been compressed and stripped down to the essentials.”
Russell said that the United States occupies a special place in China’s foreign relations, and China will shower Trump with many celebrations because Beijing views it as a diplomatic tool.
if Trip 2017 All this suggests is that Trump can expect to descend from Air Force One along a red-carpeted staircase with gold trim, to be greeted by a warm crowd.
At a formal reception the next day, he will be received by Xi and other Chinese officials, whose ranks may be telling. Trump is then expected to inspect a military honor guard, meticulously lined up by height, their eyes closely tracking him and Xi as the two leaders walk the red carpet. He will likely receive a 21-gun salute.
“It is no secret to any government that President Trump responds favorably to flattery and display,” Russell said. “The pomp and pageantry is designed to flatter and appease Trump, making him more responsive to Chinese demands and reducing the risk of an embarrassing public confrontation.”
Xi will also offer something additional, as he did during previous visits by American presidents. In 2014, she had an evening outing with former President Barack Obama at the Zhongnanhai Leadership Complex. In 2017, he hosted a private dinner for Trump at the Palace Museum, on the grounds of the former Imperial Palace.
This time, the special relationship between the Chinese and American leaders will be demonstrated at the Temple of Heaven, a former imperial site, in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, an iconic blue-tiled building known for its circular design and triple-gabled roof. The White House says Xi will accompany Trump on a tour of the world heritage site, where Chinese emperors once prayed for a bountiful harvest.
The entire park was closed on Wednesday and Thursday, while the main attractions, including the hall and the Echo Wall, were closed on Tuesday “for maintenance of the ancient architecture,” park management said.
This is unusual. The garden was not closed to the British or Spanish prime ministers when they visited the Palace Museum and the Summer Palace in Beijing, respectively, earlier this year. Nothing accompanied them.
Beijing announced that Trump’s first presidential trip to China is an “additional country visit,” which is the only visit China offers to any foreign leader. The trip was full of unprecedented arrangements.
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, took Trump and the first lady on a tour of the Palace Museum, where they chatted over afternoon tea and watched a performance of traditional opera in a royal theater that had not seen a performance in a century. They also had dinner there, a first for any foreign leader.
During the official welcoming ceremony the next day, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” was played as the presidents inspected Chinese military guards, an unusual choice aimed at impressing Trump.
Trump, who often boasts of his good relationship with Xi, still goes back to that visit nearly nine years ago.
“You know, the last time I visited China, President Xi Jinping treated me very well, and he gave me a show,” Trump said in February. “I have never seen so many soldiers, all the same length, and exactly the same height within a quarter of an inch.”
How China handles Trump this time will provide clues about the dynamics of the relationship, said Doshi, who served on former President Joe Biden’s National Security Council and helped plan his summits with Xi in 2022 and 2023.
“China uses diplomatic protocol as a way to signal support or displeasure. That is why we must pay close attention to how President Trump is received,” Doshi said.