Trump’s son, Eric, to join father on state visit to China
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Mr Eric Trump (left) manages the business empire of his father, US President Donald Trump.
PHOTO: EPA
- Eric and Lara Trump will accompany Donald Trump on his May visit to China in a "personal capacity," according to a Trump Organization spokeswoman.
- The trip raises ethical concerns, given Trump's past criticism of Hunter Biden's China dealings and his family's management of his business.
- The visit, the first by a US president in eight years, aims to stabilise US-China relations after previous trade tensions and disagreements.
AI generated
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump and his wife, Lara, will accompany the president on his trip in May to China, a spokeswoman for the family organisation told Reuters on April 14.
Two sources had told Reuters that members of Mr Trump’s family, including Eric, were considering joining Mr Trump on his highly anticipated May 14-15 visit, potentially to contribute to US-China business relations.
The spokeswoman said Eric, who manages his father’s business empire, would go in a personal capacity.
“Eric and Lara Trump are proud to accompany the president on his state visit,” said the Trump Organisation spokeswoman, Ms Kimberly Benza.
“Eric is deeply proud of his father and the accomplishments of this term, and is attending in a personal capacity as a supportive son. He does not have business ventures in China nor plans on doing business in China. He will not be participating in private meetings, but will instead stand alongside the President to mark this historic occasion.”
The move could nonetheless raise concerns in Washington, given that the billionaire ex-developer’s personal wealth and business dealings are managed by his family.
Mr Trump had criticised his Democratic predecessor, president Joe Biden, for his son Hunter accompanying him to China when Mr Biden was vice-president. He accused the younger Biden of using his influence to secure China’s financial backing for his investments.
In 2019, Mr Trump publicly invited China to open an investigation into his political rivals. The Biden family has denied wrongdoing.
The White House and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House has said Mr Trump fully complies with financial ethics and reporting requirements.
Mr Eric Trump is executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation, overseeing investments spanning real estate, golf and blockchain. Ms Lara Trump, a former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, hosts Fox News Channel’s “My View with Lara Trump”.
A spokesman for Donald Trump Jr said the president’s eldest son, who is also an executive vice-president at the Trump Organisation, would not join the trip.
The highly anticipated trip is the first by a US president in eight years and is aimed at maintaining stable relations between Beijing and Washington. The world’s two largest economies agreed to a truce in 2025 after a bruising period marked by Mr Trump’s tariffs and China’s chokehold on rare-earth exports.
But some US companies had also hoped Mr Trump’s visit could go further than giving a green light for deals on Chinese purchases of soybeans and Boeing aircraft, which are already under consideration. REUTERS
