‘The Chinese have figured out how to play Trump’: Asian leaders go the extra mile to flatter US president
All presidents get red-carpet treatment abroad, but Trump’s welcome receptions have been especially grandiose
Custom hats. Gauzy videos. Jumping children, declaring their love. The first half of US President Donald Trump’s whirlwind tour of Asia has been an exercise in the art of flattery, as world leaders woo the man who was introduced at the South Korean National Assembly as the “leader of the world”.
The pageantry-plus displays come as leaders across Asia and beyond struggle to understand the unpredictable American and search for ways to win his favour and avoid his wrath.
“They are not ignorant that this is a president who is particularly responsive to flattery,” said Lindsey Ford of the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington, adding that the Chinese, in particular, “absolutely go over the top” trying to stroke the president’s ego.
The pomp and pageantry began in Japan, where Trump was welcomed to the grand Akasaka Palace with a welcome ceremony that featured a maze of red carpets, an honour guard and marching band.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has gone out of his way to strike up a personal friendship with Trump, also treated the president to a round of golf at Japan’s premier course, complete with a champion golf partner and a taste of home: a hamburger lunch made with American beef.
