Donald Trump is encountering growing resistance within his own party, including from a key Senate supporter, over his decision to give Chinese President Xi Jinping an elaborate welcome in Washington.
Trump is scheduled to meet Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. The visit marks the Chinese leader’s first state trip to the United States in 11 years and will include a formal White House banquet the following day.
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, a Republican generally aligned with Trump, delivered a sharp rebuke on the Senate floor Tuesday.
“Had the White House asked me for advice, I would have recommended that the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such an extravagant reception,” said Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Wicker warned that throughout the discussions, Trump should remember that his visitor is “a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator” who seeks to control neighboring countries and commands a vast military force directed at the United States.
Republican concerns extend beyond the symbolism of the visit. Lawmakers have pointed to China’s rapid military expansion, its backing of Iran, the detention of Uyghurs in labor camps and the intensifying competition over artificial intelligence, a contest some have compared with the Manhattan Project.
Taiwan sits at the heart of that technology rivalry. The self-governing democracy, which faces regular military pressure from Beijing, is home to TSMC, the semiconductor manufacturer producing about 90 percent of the world’s most advanced chips for artificial intelligence, smartphones, supercomputers and defense systems.
Republicans led by Mitch McConnell were also pressing Trump this week to support a $14 billion military package for Taiwan. Xi is reportedly expected to argue against the proposal during his talks with Trump. Lawmakers additionally urged the administration to release $1.3 billion in previously approved Taiwanese defense funding before it expires at the end of the month.
Republican lawmakers have criticized Trump’s lavish reception for Xi Jinping, whom they have repeatedly described as a major threat and a dictator
After Beijing staged an elaborate welcome for Trump during his state visit to China in May, the US president has planned a similarly grand reception for Xi in Washington this week
US troops display American and Chinese flags at the White House before Xi Jinping’s state visit
Beijing considers Taiwan part of China, meaning any significant US arms sale to the island could intensify tensions between the two powers. At the same time, US law requires Washington to help Taiwan maintain the defensive capabilities needed to protect its democratic government.
During his meeting with Xi in Beijing earlier this year, Trump appeared to question the $14 billion defense package after the Chinese leader raised the issue.
“We are concerned by President Trump’s description of Taiwan as ‘a very good negotiating chip’ in engagements with Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party,” four Republican senators wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The senators also highlighted Hegseth’s previous warnings that the threat posed by China is real and could emerge soon.
The letter was signed by McConnell, John Cornyn, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis, four lawmakers who have frequently challenged Trump.
Questions about the purpose of the lavish welcome are also being raised by people inside Trump’s political circle.
“Are you advancing our country’s objectives or not?” one person close to the White House told Politico. “Whether you tell me you have a good relationship or not is really incidental to what I care about.”
Trump’s plans for Xi’s Washington visit largely echo the ceremonial treatment he received during his own state trip to Beijing in May.
Xi is due to arrive at Trump’s presidential airport, Joint Base Andrews, on Wednesday evening for an official welcome ceremony.
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‘During every minute of dialog, our commander in chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America,’ Senator Wicker said of the state visit
A Taiwanese soldier trains with the US-made Stinger missile system
Troops practice a White House welcome ceremony while holding US state flags along the residence’s driveway before the Chinese president’s arrival
A protestor with a ‘Dictator Xi’ sign is approached by police on Wednesday ahead of Xi’s arrival
Trump is scheduled to greet Xi at the airport ceremony despite the Chinese president not welcoming the US president at the airport during his trip to Beijing.
‘He decided to do it because they have a great relationship,’ First Lady Melania Trump said, ‘and we need to welcome them with the most respect.’
On Thursday, the president and Melania will welcome Xi and his wife Madame Peng to the White House with an arrival ceremony on the State Floor before a military review in the Rose Garden and subsequent bilateral meetings.
That evening, Trump will host the Chinese delegation for a state dinner in the East Room, where both presidents will deliver remarks. Top Cabinet officials and American CEOs are expected to attend, including executives from Apple, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Tesla and more.
On Friday, the first couple will host the first couple of China for tea at the White House before doing a tour of the National Archives, where they will view key US founding documents, before Xi and Madame Peng depart from Joint Base Andrews.
