Paramilitary police lined up in front of Tiananmen Gate near US and Chinese flags and a portrait of Mao Zedong in Beijing on Wednesday, as the city braced for Donald Trump's visit with tight security and widespread scepticism.
Growing Chinese Confidence
Donald Trump arrives in Beijing to a China that has grown in confidence since his last state visit in 2017. Although the economy is struggling and wage growth has slowed, a bullish nationalism is on the rise, fueled by state propaganda and the US's apparent decline into chaos.
Yaoji Chaogan, a no-frills canteen near Beijing's historic Drum and Bell towers, once proudly displayed photos of Joe Biden's 2011 visit. But evidence of that visit was removed during a renovation a few years ago. A visit from a US leader is no longer something to boast about.
“If US politicians were really smart, they wouldn’t try to hold China back,” said Liu Cheng, 47, at the restaurant on Wednesday as he ate steamed baozi and tofu skin salad.
US Seen as Troublemaker
Trump's recent foreign policy gambles, from kidnapping Venezuela's president to launching a war with Iran, have reinforced the view among ordinary Chinese that the US is a troublemaker. The US president has lost his novelty value in China; once seen as an entertainer, he is now viewed as a potential threat to Chinese interests.
Liu said whoever is US president, “it’s more or less the same for ordinary people like us. Before they take office, US presidents may say extreme things, but once in office they face the reality of China’s existence.” He added that the US struggles to accept China's rise and predicted it might take about 10 years for the US to do so.
Liu Chunlei, a 36-year-old taxi driver, said Taiwanese independence is a wedge issue. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and is expected to push the US to soften its support for the island during the Xi-Trump summit. Still, Liu welcomed Trump's visit: “It will definitely help ease China-US relations a little... it shows his attitude is not hostile.”
Security Heightened
On Beijing's streets, security is heightened to ensure smooth proceedings. The Temple of Heaven, a 15th-century Ming dynasty complex, has been closed since Tuesday before Trump's planned tour Thursday afternoon. The temple is significant in US-China history; Henry Kissinger visited it on a secret 1971 trip that paved the way for diplomatic relations.
One Chinese scholar said Trump wants to be seen as a trailblazer like Kissinger. But ordinary Chinese are sceptical. On Weibo, a user wrote: “There’s no point discussing anything with Trump. He’ll change his mind once he gets back. What he says in the morning can change by the afternoon.”
