Chinese envoy races to build bridges with Trump’s team

China’s ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, is intensifying efforts to connect with figures in former President Donald Trump’s incoming administration after years of limited Republican engagement in Washington.

In recent months, Xie has hosted dozens of former US officials and China experts at his residence, aiming to navigate a diplomatic landscape shaped by Trump’s return to power. However, China faces significant challenges, given the increasingly hawkish stance of many Republicans, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Evan Medeiros, a former White House Asia official, said Trump’s election victory left Beijing “flat-footed.” He added, “They were scrambling around Washington and New York to find connections to Trump. They were asking Democratic analysts how to manage the Trump team.”

Beijing has also re-engaged Cui Tiankai, China’s ambassador during Trump’s first term, but efforts to reconnect with his former contacts have largely failed. Dennis Wilder, a former CIA China expert, noted, “Influential members of the Chinese Communist Party visiting Washington indicated to me that they were having no luck getting appointments” with Trump’s team.

China’s difficulties are underscored by Trump’s selection of prominent China hawks like Mike Waltz and Marco Rubio for key roles. Beijing’s attention is now focused on Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary and whether figures like Robert Lighthizer, Trump’s former trade representative, will return.

Despite these challenges, Xie remains proactive. “Xie Feng is an experienced diplomat who knows that being Chinese ambassador is a lonely job in Washington, particularly in this environment,” said Myron Brilliant of DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group. Still, he acknowledged, “It’s an uphill battle.”

China’s primary concern is economic policy, particularly the potential impact of high tariffs. Christopher Johnson, a former CIA China analyst, observed, “Their top three priorities are tariffs, tariffs, and tariffs.” However, internal debates in Beijing reflect uncertainty over Trump’s intentions.

One Beijing insider summarized the situation: “The challenge is we don’t know what Trump’s goal is [or] who can connect the two.”

By Vugar Khalilov