The Grand Gestures of Diplomacy: What the Trump Xi Summit Reveals About China's Ambitions The welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People for Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing was a masterclass in diplomatic theatre, complete with a military display, a 21 gun salute, and both national anthems played by a Chinese military band.
This elaborate pageantry was not just a gesture of goodwill; it was a carefully calibrated attempt to create an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect between two nations locked in a complex game of cat and mouse.
China's leaders are well aware of the "Thucydides Trap," which describes how rising powers inevitably clash with established ones.