Trump encounters fanfare and a more confident China

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BEIJING - US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing elicited a considerable amount of interest from the public hours before he arrived in the evening of May 13, with a flurry of activity in areas that his high-powered delegation was expected to pass.

Near the Four Seasons Hotel in northeast Beijing, where the US delegation is staying for the state visit between May 13 and 15, university student Peter Zhou was among the hundreds waiting from about 7pm to see the presidential car, nicknamed “The Beast” by the American press.

“I wanted some photos which I can use to show off later,” he told The Straits Times.

A small crowd also gathered outside the freshly installed barricades at a small open area near Beijing Capital Airport, hoping to see Mr Trump’s plane touch down.

Among them were retirees who had come after grocery shopping, parents dragging along young children, and photography enthusiasts armed with long camera lenses.

They debated how much the wind direction would affect a plane’s approach to landing, and whether they were in the right spot for a rare glimpse of Air Force One.

The last time an American President visited the country was in 2017, and it was Mr Trump himself, in his first term. Then, US-China relations were still on a footing of cooperation, before Mr Trump launched his first trade war in 2018, which precipitated greater distrust between the two countries. 

“Everyone is gambling that they are in the right place,” a middle-aged gentleman told this reporter, as he concluded that no one was any the wiser about the aircraft’s landing trajectory. They were to later leave disappointed – expletives within earshot – as the plane did not approach from their side.

The excitement surrounding Mr Trump’s visit was palpable in the Chinese capital, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 for their high-stakes discussions over trade, technology and Taiwan.

Despite bilateral tensions, there was a sense of pride surrounding Mr Trump’s visit to China, where face-to-face meetings are prized as a mark of sincerity and respect.

Not the same China

There was also a sense that the China that Mr Trump saw in 2017 was different from this more confident entity that stared down his bullying tariffs in 2025 – and in some Chinese people’s eyes, came out on top.

According to this narrative, China has become the more responsible great power, which has maintained the international trading system that the US once championed, but has now abandoned.

The view that China is now engaging from a position of strength was shared by a Beijing-based education consultant who wanted to be known as Madam Xiao.

The 54-year-old was among more than nine million people who tuned in to state broadcaster CCTV’s live stream of Mr Trump’s plane landing on May 13.

She told ST: “After nine years, the American President is here again. But we’re not the same China we used to be; we’re on equal footing now.”

She added: “If you come, we will most certainly welcome you; but we won’t insist if you don’t.”

The narrative of China as an equal power was propagated in commentaries published in advance of Mr Trump’s visit. On social media, netizens dissected and analysed official footage, and posted comments flecked with nationalist pride.

“Today, we have a solid foundation and strength to deal with the United States,” read a WeChat article by an account affiliated with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The article pointed to China’s growing exports and a year-on-year GDP growth of 5 per cent in the first quarter “amid the one-year anniversary of the tariff war and the Iran crisis”.

“If you’re strong enough, you will find more and more friends around you,” said a top-liked comment on a video of Mr Trump and Mr Xi inspecting troops at the Great Hall of the People on May 14.

In recent years, the nickname “Trump the nation builder” has gained traction on the Chinese internet because ordinary Chinese people see US actions – from withdrawing from international organisations to fighting trade wars – as inadvertently strengthening China’s position.

From this position of greater power, previous hostility may indeed have been replaced by a sense of magnanimity.

A 74-year-old retired airline worker, who gave his name as Mr Er, noted: “The fact that he is taking the initiative to be friendly with us, it’s a good thing – that is the first step. If you don’t even want to come (to China), then there is no sincerity.

“As long as he comes here and shakes hands with President Xi, that is already a major outcome,” added Mr Er, as he waited with the rest for Mr Trump’s plane to arrive.