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US President Donald Trump had a wonderful time on his big trip to China. Because what is there to complain about?
In a series of conversations with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Trump delivered a stunning display of flawless international diplomacy: heaping praise on the rival world power at every opportunity while largely sidelining sensitive issues such as trade issues, cybersecurity concerns, Taiwan’s right to self-determination and China’s support for Iran. The art of the deal in action.
For their part, the Chinese have proven that they know exactly what the president likes. Xi opened Trump’s visit with a cheering welcoming committee in front of Air Force One – Trump walked down a literal red carpet as the crowd cheered for him.
Children cheering, grinning broadly
The next day, the Chinese continued the spectacle: a surreal public display with dozens of schoolchildren jumping up and down and cheering ecstatically for the president – Trump grinning from ear to ear as he strode past them.
“I was particularly impressed by these children,” Trump said at the bilateral meeting. “They were happy, they were beautiful.”
After the warm welcome, Trump and Xi got to their actual talks. The White House described the negotiations as a “good meeting” with productive exchanges on international trade and the war in Iran. Trump took the opportunity to address an issue that is really close to his heart: fast food restaurants. “Chinese restaurants in America now outnumber the five largest fast-food chains in the United States — combined,” the president marveled. “That’s quite an announcement.”
Pomp and diplomacy
He’s not wrong: Many Chinese love blue jeans and basketball – and Americans love Chinese food in return.
In some ways, Trump’s behavior is not all that unusual for a head of state or government. A major state visit always involves a certain degree of ceremony, and being friendly with rivals and allies alike is part of the job. One could even argue that it is one of the few areas of the presidency in which Trump succeeds – for better or worse: the man loves to have a good time.
What is disturbing, however, is that Trump’s trip to China shows once again how susceptible the man who leads our country is to flattery and spectacle. You don’t have to be a China hardliner for this. Xi Jinping is the leader of the world’s most powerful foreign nation – and while Trump’s tidy demeanor certainly relaxes the atmosphere, it raises questions about his ability to properly thread the many needles of international relations.
The end of Trump’s tour of the Chinese century confirmed just that. On Friday morning, Trump released a surreal statement in which he exonerated Xi for his alleged statements about the decline of the United States – which would normally be an absolute sticking point for an egomaniacal leader like Trump – and essentially shifted the legitimate criticism onto the Biden administration.
“Incredible Guy” Xi
“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as a potentially declining nation, he was referring to the enormous damage we have suffered in the four years under the sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump wrote. Earlier on Friday, the president praised Xi as an “incredible guy.”
Xi’s charm offensive was apparently a complete success. This is reflected in almost every public statement that has come out of the White House since then. Here is Trump aboard Air Force One when asked if he thinks Xi is a dictator.
Immediate swing to Biden, no answer to the question. Admittedly, “Hold on [Anführer einer wichtigen US-Rivalin] for a dictator?” isn’t exactly the most precise or useful question in the White House Press Corps’ repertoire. The answer is essentially irrelevant to the larger goals of the United States and really only serves to allow a U.S. representative to show how much he wants to appear hawk or dove. Still, responding by attacking an American president is not ideal. Trump’s response also contained a rather comical misconception about who actually negotiated the Iran nuclear deal – the agreement that came about under President Obama, not Biden, and was one of the most successful chapters of US diplomacy in recent decades.
Cyberattacks and Taiwan
However, there was a much more relevant question in this round of discussions: How is Trump dealing with China’s repeated cyberattacks on US facilities? “I did [mit ihm besprochen]” said Trump. “He talked about attacks that we carried out in China. Whatever they do, we do too.”
That’s also an honest answer – we actually spy on China on a massive scale. But it hardly gives an impartial observer the feeling that the president is in a position to exert real pressure with a rival (especially since Trump also gave a relatively noncommittal answer about whether he intends to honor the defense agreement with Taiwan approved by Congress).
Trump’s easygoing attitude and his cronyism with Xi is alienating even some of his most loyal supporters. Here’s Sean Hannity, visibly irritated as Trump refuses to seriously address the actual role China is playing in the Iran war – instead dismissing their influence on Iran by arguing that at least they “don’t come with guns.”
Adults on the other hand
As we have seen in the past, Trump’s mood can change in the blink of an eye: routine conversations turn into tense debates, and impasses arise where a wiser statesman would find compromise. Of course, it’s amusing to watch our bumbling president and his entourage stand in awe at the trappings of Chinese power (Trump’s first Truth Social message after leaving on Friday was about how they have a ballroom there). But it only reinforces the sneaking suspicion that in one of the most important diplomatic relationships in history, the only adults in the room are sitting on the other side of the table.
