With President Donald Trump having been critical of china recently and during his 2016 Presidential Campaign, there appears to be at least one member of the Trump clan who wants to keep the relationship cordial. With Ivanka Trump having recently received a West Wing Office, security clearance, and becoming an official unpaid federal employee to serve as an adviser to the president, it is clear that she will have some kind of influence in the White House.
Ivanka Trump and China
On February 1, Ivanka Trump visited the Chinese embassy in Washington to pay homage to their celebrations for the Lunar New Year.
The move was viewed positively by the Chinese people, as #Trump'sDaughterVisitsChina'sEmbassy was one of the most searched phrases in China at the time. For her son Theodore's recent birthday, she celebrated using Chinese "long life" noodles. Chinese analysts say that Ivanka has a very positive image in China and that she is helping to act as a calming force during recent U.S.-China tensions. Some international relations professors in China, like Fudan University's Ren Xiao believe that Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, will give the President more respectful and careful advice when dealing with China.
President Trump's criticism of China
The first meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will take place during the two-day period of April 6-7 at his 'Winter White House' in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
However, a few hours after the meeting was officially confirmed by America and China, President Trump went on Twitter to state that he expects the meeting to be a very difficult one.
...and job losses. American companies must be prepared to look at other alternatives.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2017
He has also recently vented about how China has not done enough to rein in North Korea in light on their recent nuclear testing.
During the 2016 Presidential Election, Trump repeatedly attacked China for stealing U.S. jobs and calling them a "currency manipulator," among other things. Finally, Trump signed two executive orders the other day on trade abuse, which some have seen as a light strategic barb ahead of the meeting with China.