WASHINGTON — China’s ambassador to the United States has outlined four issues Beijing expects President Trump to steer clear of during President Xi Jinping’s state visit this week, as a leading Senate Republican criticized the administration’s plans for what he called an overly “lavish welcome” for the Chinese leader.
In an opinion piece published by the official People’s Daily, Ambassador Xie Feng warned that China’s “sovereignty, security, and development interests cannot be violated.” He identified four “red lines” that Beijing says must not be challenged: Taiwan, democracy and human rights, development paths and systems, and development rights.
Taiwan was a recurring focus when Xi and Trump met in Beijing in May. Xi repeatedly raised the self-governing democratic island, which Beijing claims as part of China, and the discussion extended their scheduled meeting.
The Trump administration did not appear to alter its position in response. Then-Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC Nightly News that US policy toward Taiwan was unchanged both before and after the meeting.
“It was raised,” Rubio said. “They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position and we move on to the other topics.”
Xi’s three-day state visit will mark his first trip to the United States since 2015 and his first time on American soil since 2023.
In an unusual display of ceremony, Trump is scheduled to greet Xi on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening. It is believed to be the first time since 1962 that a US president has offered the honor to a visiting leader who was not the pope.
The White House is also planning a state dinner for Xi on Thursday night, along with a major military flyover during the Chinese president’s visit.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, objected to the scale of the reception. “Had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States, based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi,” Wicker said Tuesday.
“During every minute of dialogue, 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,” the Mississippi Republican added.
Senators from both parties echoed those concerns, calling on Trump to speak more forcefully with Beijing about the issues troubling Washington.
“President Trump has been clear that under his leadership, the United States must engage with China, given the reality of our economic relationship,” Sen. Ted Budd, Republican of North Carolina, said.
“But we can’t forget that China is also a competitor and an adversary.”
