With Trump’s Airport Reception, Xi Sets the Stage to Trade Symbolism for Real Concessions
Han Zheng greeted Trump at the airport, a protocol choice analysts said signaled respect without special treatment.
- On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing, where he was welcomed by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, a military band, and an honor guard.
- Protocol serves as substance in Chinese diplomacy, signaling respect or distance. Han stepped down from the elite Politburo Standing Committee and now holds little policymaking influence.
- This reception marks a slight downgrade from Trump's 2017 state visit, analysts say, when Yang Jiechi, a member of the Politburo, greeted him instead.
- Beijing sent Han to impress the status-conscious American president, said Julian Gewirtz, a China historian at Columbia University, as China seeks to "trade symbolism for substance" and buy time.
- President Barack Obama experienced varied receptions: greeted by Xi Jinping himself in 2009, but only ministry-level officials during his 2014 visit, reflecting shifting diplomatic signals.
15 Articles
15 Articles
With Trump’s airport reception, Xi sets the stage to trade symbolism for real concessions
With the choice of the official to receive US President Donald Trump at the airport, Chinese leader Xi Jinping set the agenda for the summit: offering token symbolism in exchange for real concessions.
The Seattle Times
The Straits TimesWhat China’s choice of airport greeter says about Trump
The choice could also signal how Beijing is approaching a visit by the leader of the most powerful country in the world, but who now faces a more defiant and...
Reforma
US President Donald Trump was received in Beijing by a military gang, an honor guard and Vice President Han Zheng.
China made a ‘revealing’ choice in its airport greeter for Trump in Beijing
President Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday without a tarmac greeting from Chinese President Xi Jinping — but the seeming snub was actually an "upgrade" from his last welcome in 2017, according to an expert.
Trump arrives in China with tech titans and top aides for high-stakes Xi summit
US President Donald Trump arrived in China – flanked by his top aides and American tech leaders – on Wednesday night as Beijing rolled out a lavish welcome ceremony at the airport. He was received by Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng at Beijing Capital International Airport. Trump’s entourage includes Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia and a last-minute addition to the trip, as well as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio…
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