China hawks grumble over Trump’s lavish welcome planned for Xi state visit

Chorus of disapproval rises ahead of the Chinese leader’s arrival, even as others say the welcome is the show, not the deal

But the China hawks who helped shape the debate have spent the week warning that the ceremony risks obscuring a more familiar reality: Beijing remains a rival, and the issues that have defined that rivalry have not gone away.

They are making that case from outside the room. Since Trump returned to the White House, the chorus has lost resonance inside the building and with the public. The US president has disputed their arguments himself while calling Xi a “great gentleman”.