bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Liu Zhen

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attended China’s National Day reception in Washington on Wednesday despite questions over their contacts with Beijing.
The couple cancelled a planned trip to China earlier this month, which was intended to make preparations for US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing.
Trump’s daughter and son-in-law visited the Chinese embassy in the US capital to mark the 68th anniversary of the People’s Republic at a reception that was also attended by China’s Vice-Premier Liu Yandong.
The Kushners, who both have White House posts, played a significant role in smoothing the bumpy beginning of the Trump administration’s relations with China.
They reportedly helped prepare the ground for the meeting between Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping in Florida in April.
Has China overplayed the Kushner card in dealing with the White House?
But their last scheduled trip to China – preparation for another meeting between the presidents in November – was cancelled following criticism from within the White House over their suitability for the role.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has now taken charge of organising the summit and is also visiting Beijing this week.
Concerns were raised about the couple’s potential conflicts of interest and Kushner’s alleged contacts with Russia during the 2016 election.
Pundits have questioned Beijing’s wisdom in setting so much store in the couple when dealing with White House, with some concerned that an overreliance on ties with Trump’s family could hurt China’s image as well as bilateral relations.

But Chinese diplomats said Beijing’s strategic use of the channel was an effective way to smooth initial relations between Trump and Xi.
They said top leaders in Beijing knew they could not depend solely on Kushner or other members of Trump’s family.
The Kushner family courted controversy for promoting a US$500,000 “investor visa” scheme via their real estate business in Beijing in May.
Meanwhile clothes for Ivanka’s personal brand are made in China, including in a factory that has been criticised by monitoring groups for violations of labour laws.
Earlier this month, China’s top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, met Kushner during his short stopover in the US – a gesture that analysts said shows the Chinese still value the Kushner channel.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s China visit was cancelled amid questions over suitability as organisers of president’s trip
During Wednesday’s celebration, the Kushners and several US lawmakers listened to a speech by Liu, who was is in Washington for the China-US Social and Cultural Dialogue.
Ivanka’s last visit to the embassy – to celebrate the Lunar New Year – boosted her popularity in China, as the so-called first daughter took her Mandarin-speaking daughter Arabella, five, who was dressed in red.


Deterring Taiwan conflict a ‘priority’: US national security report

America’s opioid crisis won’t be solved without India’s help

Senators unveil bill to keep Trump from easing curbs on AI chip sales to China

Most Europeans want to keep same distance between US and China, poll finds

US-China relations

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attend China’s National Day reception in Washington despite questions over Beijing links

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner pictured arriving at the Chinese embassy in Washington. Photo: GCTN Videos

Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, attend a news conference at the White House on March 17, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Michael Kappeler/DPA/ZUma Press/TNS)

News

China

Diplomacy

Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law previously cancelled visit to China after concerns were raised about their role
