After a remarkably successful and consequential visit to China, President Trump and First Lady Melania will be departing Beijing today.  President Trump travels to Vietnam for the APEC CEO Summit, while First Lady Melania heads back to Washington DC.

.
In the morning, President Donald J. Trump will depart Beijing, Peoples Republic of China en route to Da Nang, Vietnam. In the afternoon, the President will deliver remarks to the APEC CEO Summit. The President will then participate in a veterans meet and greet. In the evening, the President will participate in an official welcome reception for the APEC leaders and spouses followed by a gala dinner and cultural performance.
SCHEDULE BELOW:
(more…)

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the official state dinner in Beijing China as guests of President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyaun. Video, Pictures and Transcript of President Trump speech below:

Pictures below:
(more…)

In 1989 the communist regime of China delivered one of the more infamous authoritarian displays of brutality in modern history. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, commonly known in mainland China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led demonstrations in Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China. In response the communist regime crushed the student uprising and hundreds were massacred.

Almost thirty years later, it’s now 2017, and in the exact same place, on the exact same streets, the Chinese government played the U.S. national anthem while broadcasting -for the first time ever- to their own country:  the welcoming ceremony of a state visit by a U.S. President and First Lady at the Grand Hall of the People’s Republic of China.
During prime time TV viewing (8:30pm EST) you would think this historic moment, this historic contrast (liberty crushed / liberty celebrated), should easily garner U.S. media attention.  You might think that, but you would be wrong.
Actual trumpets sounded the regalia as a U.S. President exited the limousine in front of the Great Hall; but not a single U.S. network, broadcast or cable, showed the historic moments of the ceremony when President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived.
Thirty years ago, China was controlling broadcasts and hiding uncomfortable events on that location. In 2017 it’s the U.S. media apparatus doing the hiding. Has the worm turned 180°?
(more…)

President Trump and President Xi delivered remarks to the international audience in The Great Hall in Beijing China, and suddenly the word “remarks” seems inappropriate.
President Xi Jinping delivered the customary speech, albeit with nuance specific to the guest and audience, with a carefully worded assembly familiar to almost anyone who has read speeches and messaging approved by Beijing. As customary within the cunning assembly of those words; the state media apparatus then tells the consuming audience what they mean. Or at least that’s the familiar pattern.
However, then came Trump…
President Trump followed President Xi’s remarks with a speech as deliberate and unambiguous as the internal audience would ever fathom hearing.  President Trump respectfully pulled no punches in his direct and emphatic style; stating that China needed to engage in, well, to use China’s familiar wording, “correct thinking” on a variety of issues – including trade and their necessary responsibility toward North Korea.
No-one else could pull this off, except Trump. Not that way. The best part is always the emphatic part at the end.  President Trump gives the look saying: well, that’s that then; that’s all I’ve got to say about that... smiles bigly, and the diplomatic opponent tries not to look smaller than they were ten minutes earlier. [key word, ‘tries‘] WATCH:

(more…)

While President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are conducting official state business, First Lady Melania Trump and China’s first lady Madame Pen Liyaun visit a Beijing, China, Art and Design School.
*Geopolitical Note* The messaging here is toward U.S. trade sanctions on intellectual property theft by Chinese companies.  The intended objective here is to show they have the capability to create their own design ideas.  Theft of trademark products, and the re-manfacturing of those falsely branded products, is a huge part of China’s black-market economy and a large part of the ongoing U.S. led trade sanctions review.

(more…)

Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting a welcoming for U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. For the first time in history this event will be broadcast live on Chinese State TV.  Anticipated start time 8:30pm (U.S. Eastern Time)
For additional perspective, the first livestream below is the actual livestream the Chinese People will be permitted to watch:
UPDATE: Video Added – **NOTE** This was a historic first-ever live broadcast of a Chinese President welcoming a U.S. President at the official ceremony.  The pageantry was the highest level China presents in public display honoring any visiting head of state; and U.S. Media never carried it.  Let that sink in.

(more…)

A compensating shift amid a modern era of communication.

Communist Beijing generally considers uncontrolled communication a potential threat; however that’s why they elevated President Xi Jinping – to navigate this modern era reality.  It is largely the responsibility of Xi to retain control yet provide the optics of free engagement.  Within that dynamic President Xi is allowing the broadcast of the welcoming ceremony – again, predictably, with very tight production controls anticipated.

In a rare and unprecedented step, President Donald Trump’s official ceremonial welcome at the Great Hall of the People will be broadcast live today on national television throughout China, state broadcaster CCTV said.  The event is scheduled for a broadcast at 8:20pm (U.S. EST).  However, in keeping tight control – the more hazardous (11:30pm) press conference will not be carried.
President Trump knows the game, check out his twitter banner image to see POTUS showcase the production quality of propaganda.
Overview of events: In the morning, [9:20am (local) / 8:20pm (U.S. EST)] President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will participate in a welcome ceremony with President Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China and Madame Peng Liyuan.
The President will then have a restricted bilateral meeting with President Xi, before having an expanded meeting. Following the meetings, the President will attend a business event with President Xi.
In the afternoon, the President will deliver a joint press statement with President Xi (scheduled for 11:30pm U.S. Eastern).  Later, the President will meet with Premier Li Keqiang of the Peoples Republic of China. The President and First Lady will then participate in an embassy meet and greet.
In the evening, the President and the First Lady will participate in a State Dinner receiving line, followed by a state dinner and cultural performance.
Schedule Below:
(more…)

As CTH provides an overview of President Trump’s historic visit to communist China the majority of our review is toward the geopolitical aspects.  China is a communist nation; many people forget that.  China’s central command and control authority goals are to dominate the globe with a disposition that China is the world’s center.

Therefore the optics and presentations from Beijing contain more audiences, and more nuance, than what is customary in a state visit with a non-adversarial free society.
China, Xi Jinping and Beijing’s communist old guard, approach the U.S. presidential visit from a dynamic unfamiliar to most U.S. observers and political watchers.  There are multiple audiences, internally and externally for China, being managed in this visit.   Additionally, the engagement with President Trump and First-Lady Melania Trump is both cultural and political.
Despite the complexity of the dynamic it is possible to locate indicators within this controlled script that later allows us to analyze the U.S. and Chinese engagement as future events present.   These important reviews of how Beijing is controlling the visit are not related to personal relationship dynamics or disrespect toward the U.S. President. The considerations are about the politics not the personality.
The personality of the participants may change; but the dynamic of the politics, the geopolitical face, presented by Beijing toward their ongoing goals and objectives, will remain constant for many years.  For our endeavors, it is the dynamic of the geopolitical face that becomes more important.  We are looking beyond the mask; whether it’s a panda mask or a dragon mask, it matters not. It’s always a mask. [Hope that makes sense.]
(more…)

President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet complete with marching band and joyful children for the arrival of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
However, there will be strict controls on U.S. and Western media, so don’t expect too much unchecked communication; as well as expansive control over the optics of the general Chinese population. Beijing’s old guard will not want the optic of too warm a welcome from the uncontrolled population toward their primary geopolitical adversary.

Schedule:
2:40pm (Local) / 1:40am (U.S. Easern) THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at Beijing Airport, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China
(more…)

President Donald Trump delivered a historic speech to the South Korean National Assembly in Seoul. Amid escalating tensions with North Korea, President Trump outlined his views, policy and perspective for the regional partners while calling for North Korea to reevaluate its path.

[WHITE HOUSE] PRESIDENT TRUMP: Assembly Speaker Chung, distinguished members of this Assembly, ladies and gentlemen: Thank you for the extraordinary privilege to speak in this great chamber and to address your people on behalf of the people of the United States of America.
In our short time in your country, Melania and I have been awed by its ancient and modern wonders, and we are deeply moved by the warmth of your welcome.
Last night, President and Mrs. Moon showed us incredible hospitality in a beautiful reception at the Blue House. We had productive discussions on increasing military cooperation and improving the trade relationship between our nations on the principle of fairness and reciprocity.
Through this entire visit, it has been both our pleasure and our honor to create and celebrate a long friendship between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
(more…)