The Unspoken Messages in Trump's State Dinner Address

Central News Agency (CNA Beijing Correspondent Chang Shu-ling / May 17) — Although the Trump-Xi summit has concluded, the related buzz has not dissipated. Beyond the various serious analyses of international relations or light-hearted feature reports, perhaps we can look back at something less noticed—what were the unspoken implications in Trump's address at the state dinner? On the evening of the 14th, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome U.S. President Donald Trump on his state visit to China. Trump delivered a meticulously crafted, appropriate speech, so much so that Sun Liping, a retired professor of sociology at Beijing's Tsinghua University, wrote on his WeChat public account on the 16th, 'It turns out Trump can speak properly.' He argued that even if the speech was written by a speechwriter, doesn't Trump have speechwriters for other formal occasions? From this perspective, Trump's 'proper speaking' in China was definitely well-prepared. Indeed, before taking the stage, he even flipped through his folder to remind himself of the key points (yes, the footage that was misinterpreted as him flipping through Xi's 'little notebook'). Trump's dinner speech came after host Xi Jinping's, but was much longer. A major reason is that both talked about examples of Sino-American interaction from history, but Xi started from the 'Ping-Pong Diplomacy' 55 years ago, while Trump began from the founding of the United States 250 years ago. This might indicate that even though Trump visited the 600-year-old Temple of Heaven and Zhongnanhai with its ancient trees (Xi casually pointed out a 150-year-old tree), he was dealing with a tough regime that has been in power for less than 80 years and has undergone multiple struggles and purges. The rulers of this ancient land, though often emphasizing the long history of Chinese culture in their propaganda, mentally adhere to the contemporary Leninist party principle of 'the Party leads everything.' Looking closely at the examples Trump cited in his speech, the one that truly presented China in a positive light was Confucius from at least 2,500 years ago, whose statue now stands on the front of the U.S. Supreme Court building as a tribute to the sage. In modern times, the image of the Chinese became that of laborers and objects of American aid. He said: 'Chinese workers helped build our railroads and connect our continent. And early American visitors to China brought new literacy and modern medicine.' At the request of the Chinese ambassador, President Roosevelt provided funds to establish President Xi's alma mater, Tsinghua University. This passage, not quoted by Sun Liping when he praised Trump for 'speaking properly,' is very clever. Trump reminded the Chinese that the U.S. contributed to China's modernization, and China's own leader was a beneficiary. It seems to have a flavor of benevolence, but the phrasing does not cause loss of face. On a deeper level, this touches upon the Boxer Rebellion and the 'history of national humiliation.' Tsinghua University, founded in 1911, was funded by the Boxer Indemnity returned by the U.S. for education and enlightenment. During the Cultural Revolution, most people were deprived of education. Universities first stopped admissions, then switched to a recommendation-based 'Worker-Peasant-Soldier' university system, where there were no exams and learning was very free. Xi Jinping entered Beijing's Tsinghua University as a worker-peasant-soldier student in 1975 and obtained a doctorate in law from Tsinghua in 2002. The Americans Trump mentioned who helped improve literacy and modern medicine in China naturally refer to the 19th-century missionaries. While spreading their faith, they also brought medicine and established new-style schools. Today, what is the state of Christianity and Catholicism in China? Can the contributions of missionaries still be openly celebrated? Under the CCP's demand for compliance with its religious regulations and adherence to the principles of 'self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation' to get rid of foreign interference, church development faces strict rules. Clergy of many unofficial Catholic underground churches or Christian house churches are monitored or arrested. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, very few missionaries remain in China. What Trump said was that for over 200 years, the people of China and the United States have respected and admired each other, with opportunities to create a better future; what was left unsaid is perhaps more worthy of deep thought. (Editor: Lu Chia-jung) 1150517