The Chinese Art of Flattering Trump

Trump received an energetic spectacle upon arrival in Beijing

Donald Trump's highly-anticipated visit to China was a lesson in subtle visual clues on how Chinese leader Xi Jinping would treat the American president.

These kinds of state visits are a window into what kind of image Beijing wants Trump to see.

He was greeted in person by Vice President Han Zheng, which Trump probably thought was highly respectful, but in fact Han doesn't have much political power, making his position mostly ceremonial.

Children jumping as they greet Xi and Trump

Nevertheless Trump got the fanfare he wanted as 300 young people dressed neatly in sky blue and white uniforms and white sneakers, waving flags in unison as they shouted slogans.

How very... 1960s...

There was a similar scene outside the Great Hall of the People as younger children jumped frantically up and down waving bouquets, with boys in trousers and polo shirts, the girls in dresses.

Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping and it was overt flattery, as Trump laid the endless adulation on thick, calling him "a great leader" and how "powerful" Xi was, but he kept a poker face.

The state dinner didn't have McDonald's hamburgers (which Trump could have ordered from Alipay or WeChat), and instead he was served a menu of lobster in tomato soup, crispy beef ribs, Peking roast duck, slow-cooked salmon in mustard sauce, stewed seasonal vegetables, and for dessert, tiramisu.

Why not all American apple pie? Oh there was also fruits and ice cream though.

Xi and Trump at the state banquet

For Xi, having Trump in Beijing was the perfect opportunity to showcase China's 5,000 years of history compared to the United States merely celebrating its 250th birthday in July.

Xi showed the American president the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City, both dating back to the Ming dynasty in the early 1400s.

However, what was really interesting was Xi showing Trump Zhongnanhai, a place even ordinary Chinese people have never seen. Zhongnanhai is the compound where senior Chinese officials reside and work. It is adjacent to the Forbidden City as the former imperial garden. 

As they walked through the garden, Xi pointed out the trees and explained they were over 100 years old, some up to 400 years old, again emphasising they were older than the US.

Trump was in awe, and asked if other leaders had toured Zhongnanhai before.

Xi replied very few, except for say, Putin.

Xi gives Trump a tour of Zhongnanhai

When he heard that, Trump beamed.

The Chinese gave the pageantry Trump wanted without making any substantial deals.

Talk about sleight of hand.