Is Donald Trump’s ‘Chinamaxxing’ pushing Beijing’s soft power?
In May, Donald Trump touring Beijing’s Temple of Heaven – bathed in golden light as traditional Chinese music played in the background – was an unlikely image of US-China relations. For Julian Gewirtz, a former China official on president Joe Biden’s National Security Council, it also had a familiar Gen Z twist. “Trump, strange as it is to say, is Chinamaxxing,” he wrote in a Substack post at the…
In May, President Donald Trump visited Beijing's Temple of Heaven, a scene that seemed out of place given his administration's often strained relationship with China. China analyst Julian Gewirtz likened Trump's visit to the Gen Z online trend known as "Chinamaxxing," which celebrates aspects of Chinese culture like high-speed trains and indoor footwear.
This portrayal of China as a modern, impressive country was further emphasized by the White House during Trump's visit, showcasing lavish ceremonies and highlighting China's global standing.
Since then, Trump has continued to engage with Chinese leaders, welcoming Xi Jinping to Washington and hosting him in the White House. The US has now scheduled additional meetings with Xi before the year ends. However, these warm gestures have not yet led to the comprehensive agreement many had hoped for, and the strategic competition between the two nations remains intense. Yet, the spectacle raises an intriguing question: could Trump's treatment of Xi help Beijing improve its global image?
China has long worked to shape its image internationally, often dismissed in the West as mere propaganda. Over the years, Beijing has built relationships with foreign officials, journalists, academics, and political figures, particularly in the Global South. With Trump's approach of transactional diplomacy emphasizing personal connections, Xiaoyu Pu, a political scientist at the University of Nevada, sees potential for China to enhance its international image.
Pu notes that Trump's downplaying of ideological differences and framing of China as an equal great power can help Beijing present its political system as less of a barrier to acceptance.
An example of China's image being contested comes from an unlikely group of American visitors. The anti-war organization CodePink recently walked parts of the Long March route in China, aiming to present a different narrative about the country. This visit comes at a time when American public opinion towards China is gradually shifting, with a growing percentage of Americans viewing China favorably. CodePink's advocacy and direct exposure to China are part of a larger contest over how China is perceived abroad.
China has also pursued outreach initiatives, such as hosting young Latin American politicians and organizing degree-oriented programs with Renmin University for Global South elites. These efforts aim to share China's development model and build personal connections that can endure beyond individual visits. While these interactions can build goodwill and personal relationships, experts remain skeptical that they will automatically translate into lasting alignment between the two nations.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.