China’s ambassador to the US has been scrambling to attach with potential Trump administration officers after a number of years of struggling to get conferences with Republicans in Washington.
Xie Feng has in latest months stepped up outreach in Washington by internet hosting dozens of former US officers and China consultants at his house, in accordance with folks accustomed to the scenario.
The engagements have turn out to be extra vital following Donald Trump’s election victory as a result of the Chinese language embassy has had much more interplay with Democrats throughout Joe Biden’s presidency.
Evan Medeiros, a former prime White Home Asia official, mentioned Trump’s victory caught China “flat footed”.
“They have been scrambling round Washington and New York to search out connections to Trump. They have been asking Democratic analysts easy methods to handle the Trump staff,” mentioned Medeiros, a Georgetown professor, who met Xie earlier than the election.
“They basically have one play: persuade enterprise leaders round Trump to go gentle on China.”
All ambassadors in Washington are attempting to satisfy individuals who could be a part of the brand new Trump administration. However Beijing faces a selected drawback as a result of Republicans have been unwilling to interact Chinese language officers lately as Washington has turn out to be much more hawkish on China.
Ann Kowalewski, a former Home international affairs committee and Senate international relations committee staffer, mentioned many on Capitol Hill have been reluctant to satisfy Chinese language officers as a result of they felt the conferences wouldn’t be constructive. “There was a basic perception that conferences would simply be embassy officers studying speaking factors at them,” she mentioned.
Earlier this 12 months, Beijing tasked Cui Tiankai, its ambassador throughout Trump’s first administration, to reconnect together with his former contacts within the former president’s staff, however he was largely unsuccessful.
“Over the previous few months, influential members of the Chinese language Communist occasion visiting Washington indicated to me that they have been having no luck getting appointments” with potential Trump officers, mentioned Dennis Wilder, a former prime CIA China professional.
In a nasty omen for Beijing, Trump has nominated China hawks for top roles in his new administration, together with Mike Waltz for nationwide safety adviser and Marco Rubio for secretary of state.
However Chinese language officers are watching carefully to see who Trump will name as Treasury secretary — and whether or not Robert Lighthizer, his former commerce consultant, will be a part of the brand new administration. They’re additionally taking note of the function of Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, who has enterprise pursuits in China and has joined Trump’s inside circle.
A Waltz spokesperson mentioned he didn’t touch upon assembly requests. A Rubio spokesperson didn’t reply to a query about whether or not the Chinese language embassy had reached out. The embassy didn’t remark.
“They don’t seem to have the hyperlinks to the Trump staff that they had final time,” mentioned one one that has met Xie and his staff. “The core query they have been asking is: “what does Trump need?”
One former US official mentioned China wished “stability” and thought Trump wished to do a take care of Beijing, however they didn’t know what the president-elect wished and have been “in a holding sample” till negotiating channels emerged.
Christopher Johnson, a former prime CIA China analyst, mentioned Chinese language officers have been laser-focused on financial coverage. “Their prime three priorities are tariffs, tariffs, and tariffs,” mentioned Johnson, who heads the consultancy China Methods Group.
Johnson mentioned there was debate in Beijing between much less financial literate members of the politburo and technocrats over Trump’s risk to slap 60 per cent tariffs on imports from China.
“The previous take the view that, ‘We beat them earlier than and can accomplish that once more as we all know easy methods to eat bitterness and the spoiled People don’t.’ The technocrats . . . realise that 60 per cent tariffs — or maybe even smaller further levies — may show devastating for an already strained and deeply susceptible financial system,” he mentioned.
One individual in Beijing with connections to the Chinese language Communist occasion mentioned China wanted to do a deal with Trump, if attainable.
“The problem is we don’t know what Trump’s aim is [or] who can join the 2,” he mentioned. “After the 4 years of the primary time period, I actually don’t suppose folks’s expectation in Beijing in direction of a deal is excessive.”
One other individual accustomed to the pondering in Beijing mentioned it was “fairly pure” for China to satisfy consultants in Washington forward of the brand new administration.
One one that has engaged with the Chinese language embassy in Washington additionally identified that the very fact Xie was attempting laborious to make connections didn’t imply that Beijing was in the dead of night concerning the incoming administration.
“Chinese language intelligence is sort of definitely monitoring the approaching and goings at Mar-a-Lago,” the individual mentioned, referring to Trump’s West Palm Seaside membership the place he has been interviewing candidates for cupboard posts.
“Xie Feng is an skilled diplomat who is aware of that being Chinese language ambassador is a lonely job in Washington, notably on this surroundings,” mentioned Myron Sensible, a senior counsellor with DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group, a consultancy, who has identified Xie for years. He added that it could be an “uphill battle” for the ambassador given the hawkish temper in Washington.
However he famous: “It’s vital to notice that Trump has an current relationship with Xi and sure will emphasise his personal rapport and channel with the Chinese language president.”
