China rolls out red carpet for Trump, promises 'state visit plus'

BEIJING: US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for the critical leg of his Asia tour to drum up an uncompromising, global front against the nuclear weapons ambitions of the "cruel dictatorship" in North Korea.

Trump heaped more praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping before touching down in Beijing but he also used a speech in Seoul to urge China to do more to rein in its Cold War-era ally.



The Trump administration sees Beijing as the key to controlling North Korea, which depends on China for its economic survival and for 90 percent of its trade.

Earlier, Trump congratulated Xi for his reappointment as China's Communist Party chief, tweeting: "I very much look forward to meeting with President Xi who is just off his great political victory".

Trump's use of the term "political victory" for the outcome of last month's Communist Party congress was seen by analysts as an attempt to mollify Xi before tough talks on trade and North Korea.

"He's laying it on thick to put Xi in a good mood because he will have unpleasant things to tell him," said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, China politics specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University.

China has promised a "state visit plus" for Trump, and while having not released any details, Beijing is attaching great importance to the visit. Trump is expected to go to the Forbidden City, possibly guided by Xi.

"Such hospitality is rarely seen in modern China," influential tabloid the Global Times, published by the People’s Daily, said in its editorial. "Beijing’s enthusiasm reflects the most positive part of the attitude that the diversified world holds toward the US, and the realistic international outlook of the rising China."

Trump has brought a business delegation along for the ride, with deals expected to be signed between the two countries, though analysts doubt that it will do much to allay US concerns about China's massive trade surplus.