China Briefing | Steve Bannon’s two-faced antics have burned his bridges – to US and Beijing
In associating with one of China’s most wanted criminals, the former chief strategist for Donald Trump has offended some of the most powerful figures in Beijing – among them a man tipped for the vice-presidency, Wang Qishan
Trump said in a recent interview that he felt “betrayed” by Bannon, accusing him of being a self-promoter who inflated his importance in the US election – bitter words that have found an echo in the corridors of power in Beijing and among some Chinese analysts.
So for a brief period, there had been speculation that Bannon was trying to manoeuvre himself to become a point man to help steer the complex Sino-US relations given his closeness to Trump and his professed interest in China.
When Bannon was back in the States, however, he met the fugitive Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui, who had lobbed wild accusations of corruption and impropriety against senior Chinese officials including Wang himself.
