Advertisement
China Briefing | Analysis: China’s success is tied to its relationship with the US despite what you may read
Chinese dream of national rejuvenation hinges in part on international stability in which a peaceful coexistence with Washington is crucial
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Just days after President Xi Jinping emerged as a much more powerful leader from the Communist Party’s 19th congress last month, US president Donald Trump commented on Xi’s ascendancy to power in a television interview and observed “some people might call him king of China”.
So it is interesting to see that after landing in Beijing on Wednesday, Trump and his entourage were whisked straight to the sprawling Forbidden City complex where Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan were waiting. There they were given a special royal welcome including an afternoon tea and a Peking Opera performance, the favourite pastimes of the imperial families of the feudal dynasties. It ended with a dinner inside the Forbidden City, the first time that a visiting US president has been given the honour.
Advertisement
Another interesting detail, which received less attention from international media, was the historical significance of the venue where they had tea – the Baoyun Building, also known as the Hall of Embodied Treasures, in the southwestern corner of the Forbidden City. It is the only Western-style building there; it was used to store antiques but now serves as an exhibition hall of the museum’s history.
China casts long shadow as Donald Trump seeks to strengthen ties with Vietnam and Philippines
It was built in 1915, with US$200,000 (HK$1.56 million) Boxer Indemnity war reparations from the US government, which helped preserve the Forbidden City as a museum.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x