The Beguiling Pageantry of Donald Trump's China Visit

"Chinese leaders tend to press hardest when they sense advantage. In return for opening a new relationship, they persuaded Nixon to reduce support for their rivals in Taiwan. One American observer declared, "They got Taiwan; we got egg rolls.""

"In 1972, when Richard Nixon became the first American President to visit China, he was preoccupied with more than making diplomatic history. He wanted to ease his way out of an unpopular war in Vietnam and to burnish his image with scenes of statesmanship. As his aides plotted TV coverage that might impress audiences at home, they suggested that the First Lady emerge from Air Force One wearing a bright-red overcoat, to stand out against the drabness of Communist Beijing."

"The Chinese side made its own preparations. Mao Zedong's lieutenants, perhaps wary that they would appear fawning, staged an airport reception that was "perfunctory by Chinese standards," Margaret MacMillan wrote in " Nixon and Mao," a history of the visit. They also set about exploiting the President's eagerness for a deal."

"On Thursday, Donald Trump's limousine set out from the Four Seasons Hotel in Beijing, heading to a summit with Mao's political descendant, Xi Jinping. A half century after Nixon's visit opened the way to a commercial renaissance, the Chinese capital is largely unrecognizable. Trump's limousine swept past miles of malls and office towers and residential skyscrapers before pulling up to the vast granite face of the Great Hall of the People, where Xi was waiting on a red carpet."

Chinese leaders use perceived advantage to press negotiations and extract concessions. In 1972, Nixon’s China visit aimed to improve his image and ease pressures from the Vietnam War. Chinese preparations included a reception designed to avoid appearing fawning while also leveraging Nixon’s desire for agreements. The Chinese side persuaded Nixon to reduce support for Taiwan’s rivals in exchange for opening a new relationship. A later observer summarized the tradeoff as China gaining Taiwan while the U.S. gained minor perks. In 2017, Donald Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing, with potential commercial deals emerging, including airplanes and soybeans, while no apparent agreement on Iran was reached.

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