After Trump's visit to China, he posted online saying China loves him. In response, China stated that the reception was merely ceremonial and not indicative of personal preference.

It's been almost ten days since Trump's visit to China ended, yet Trump still hasn't recovered! On May 23, Trump posted a message stating that China loves Trump. He published photos taken at Beijing airport during his visit, showing the enthusiastic welcome he received. How should we interpret this behavior from Trump? This likely stems from three reasons.

First, Trump aims to send a signal domestically in the United States that China respects him personally.

The deeper implication is that he wants to project an image of being capable of handling China—creating a narrative that "only I can contain China, and China treats me with high-level honors." This is clearly a strategy by Trump to boost his approval ratings. Second, to some extent, this also caters to his own vanity. Trump has always placed great importance on grandeur and personal image. The welcoming ceremony at Beijing airport, the red carpet, the military honor guard, and the head-of-state level reception were undoubtedly highlight moments for him personally.

Third, Trump may be using this to build leverage in his dealings with China. The fact is clear: if China is portrayed as respecting Trump, then Trump naturally hopes that domestic U.S. opposition will not hinder him. Instead, he wants American officials to give him greater freedom to negotiate with China—even if some concessions are made, he hopes there won’t be fierce domestic resistance.

Naturally, from our perspective, we have never stated that China loves Trump. Regarding Trump’s visit, we treated him with proper courtesy. The airport welcome ceremony is a basic diplomatic protocol for state visits. When any foreign head of state officially visits China, Beijing airport always extends the same level of reception—the red carpet, military honor guard, and formal welcoming ceremony. Trump may wish to exploit this situation for political gain, but some claims circulating are simply not factual.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865988907794955/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.