Advertisement
These powerful figures are expected to play outsize roles as Trump prepares for a high-stakes second term, including tariffs of up to 60 per cent or more on Chinese imports that the president-elect has promised.
China experts anticipate Trump will rely on business and policy professionals with mainland experience, rather than more hawkish ideologues, while access will be managed by a trusted aide and newly influential members of the First Family.
Meanwhile, Beijing will seek both authoritative and unofficial channels with Trump’s new team, with figures like former economic tsar Liu He, who signed a trade deal in the first Trump administration, set to play a quiet but influential role, they added.
Advertisement
However, some analysts have questioned the effectiveness of backchannels if Beijing perceives Trump’s initial stance as hostile.
World leaders react to Trump’s win