President Donald Trump left Washington on Tuesday for a three-day state visit to China without first lady Melania Trump, traveling instead with Cabinet officials and business leaders in a delegation that marks a sharper, more business-focused contrast with the pageantry of his 2017 trip.
Melania Trump Skips Shorter China Visit
The South China Morning Post first reported that Melania Trump would not join the visit. Hours before departure, her office confirmed the decision in an email response, saying, “First lady Melania Trump is not travelling this time.”
Trump boarded Air Force One with a large entourage that included his son Eric Trump and daughter-in-law Lara Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Melania Trump accompanied the president during his 2017 state visit to China, where she joined Peng Liyuan for cultural events, visited the Beijing Zoo and toured the Great Wall. This year’s trip is shorter, with Trump expected to return by Friday, May 15.
Her absence comes a day after SCMP reported that Brett Ratner, director of the documentary “Melania,” is traveling with the U.S. delegation. Ratner is also expected to scout locations for “Rush Hour 4.”
Trump And Xi Face High-Stakes Talks
China’s Foreign Ministry said Trump will visit from May 13 to 15 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The visit is the first by an American president to China in nearly nine years and comes amid tensions over trade, technology, defense, Taiwan and artificial intelligence.
The trip also overlaps with a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire and a dual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that has pushed energy prices higher and raised concerns about global growth.
U.S. principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly on Sunday said Trump would arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening for what she called a “visit of tremendous symbolic significance.” She said Trump will attend a welcome ceremony, meet Xi on Thursday, visit the Temple of Heaven and attend a state banquet before a Friday tea and working lunch.
Business Leaders Join China Delegation
More than a dozen executives are also expected to attend, including Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) Elon Musk, outgoing Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook and Boeing Co. CEO Kelly Ortberg. Reuters reported that Washington and Beijing are expected to announce trade forums and major business deals, including a possible Boeing aircraft order.
Photo Courtesy: Evan El-Amin on Shutterstock.com
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