WASHINGTON — When President Trump touched down in Beijing on Wednesday, the absence of a tarmac welcome from Chinese President Xi Jinping might have seemed like a diplomatic slight. However, experts suggest that this reception was, in fact, a step up from his previous visit in 2017.
“From a protocol standpoint, this is quite telling,” explained Isabelle Vladoiu, founder of the US Institute of Diplomacy and Human Rights. She noted that while Xi Jinping did not greet Trump personally at the airport during his 2017 visit, this time China sent Vice President Han Zheng, alongside both ambassadors and senior foreign affairs officials, to meet him.
In 2017, Trump was welcomed by Yang Jiechi, a senior official and state councilor, but not of as high a rank as the vice president. Vladoiu, who has collaborated with numerous international organizations and penned “Business Etiquette Secrets,” highlighted that this change in protocol signifies a shift. “In Chinese diplomatic protocol, rank is never accidental,” she emphasized.
By upgrading the level of officials present, China is indicating that this visit holds more significant strategic and geopolitical importance compared to Trump’s visit nine years ago, which was the last time an American president visited China.
“In Chinese diplomatic protocol, rank is never accidental,” she said.
“In 2017, Trump was greeted by Yang Jiechi who was a senior official and state councilor but not as high rank as the vice president. China is signaling therefore that this visit carries greater strategic and geopolitical weight than before.”
Trump arrived aboard Air Force One with an all-star entourage, including Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose AI chip-making business is the world’s largest company by market capitalization.
Trump said as he departed Washington that he expects talks with Xi to focus on trade relations. Other expected topics include ending illicit fentanyl exports to the US and the American war with Iran, though Trump on Tuesday downplayed plans to discuss the conflict.
