13.05.2026 14:41
US President Donald Trump will pay an official visit to China after an 8.5-year hiatus. The inclusion of the historic Temple of Heaven in Trump's itinerary by the Beijing administration was interpreted as a message of "harmony and world peace" between the two major powers. Trump's meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to address trade, global tensions, and bilateral relations.
US President Donald Trump will visit China after 8.5 years. According to a statement from the White House regarding Trump's schedule in China, the US President, expected to arrive in China this evening, will visit the Temple of Heaven tomorrow.
The selection of the Temple of Heaven as a field visit in Trump's program, which includes official ceremonies and receptions, bilateral meetings, and working lunches, carries symbolic meaning.
Built in the 15th century, the Temple of Heaven is a monument where the fundamental ideas of Chinese civilization regarding the cosmic order and the role of political authority in that order are transformed into architectural forms.
HARMONY BETWEEN EARTH AND HEAVEN
The temple complex, consisting of structures where flat and angular forms represent the earth and circular shapes represent the heavens, reflects the pursuit of harmony between the earthly order on earth and the divine order in the heavens in traditional Chinese belief.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties that dominated China in the centuries following the temple's construction, emperors would come here every year before the harvest season to offer sacrifices to the heavens for a bountiful harvest.
These ceremonies positioned the emperor as an intermediary between the order on earth and the order in heaven, the one who ensures the harmony of the cosmic order. It was believed that if the emperor failed to maintain this harmony, the heavens' decree would change and he would lose his power.
At a time of increasing conflicts and geopolitical tensions in the world, the selection of the Temple of Heaven for Trump's visit is interpreted as a message from the Chinese side that the two great powers should strive for world peace in harmony.
The temple complex, an open-air museum in the southeast of Beijing's center, will be closed to the public today and tomorrow due to Trump's visit.
VISITING CHINA AFTER 8.5 YEARS
US President Trump is visiting China after a gap of 8.5 years. Former President Joe Biden did not visit China during his term in office. The last leadership-level visit from the US to China was made by Trump in 2017, during his first term.
During his first visit in 2017, Trump was hosted at the Forbidden City, China's historical imperial palace.
A state ceremony will be held for Trump, expected to arrive in Beijing this evening, tomorrow morning at Tiananmen Square. Following the ceremony, Trump will hold bilateral and delegation-level meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In the afternoon, Trump will visit the Temple of Heaven and attend an evening banquet held in his honor.
Trump will reconvene with the Chinese leader for a tea meeting on the morning of May 15. The US President will return to his country after a working lunch together.
RUBIO WEARS THE SAME SWEATSUIT AS MADURO ON THE PLANE
A photo of US Secretary of State Rubio wearing the same sweatsuit that Maduro was wearing when he was captured on the plane has drawn backlash. Meanwhile, Trump made a post depicting Venezuela as the 51st state of the US.
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TRUMP: THEY WILL DO THE RIGHT THING OR WE WILL FINISH THE JOB
Trump answered questions from the press while leaving the White House for his China visit. He gave positive signals that the Russia-Ukraine war would end but maintained his harsh rhetoric towards Iran. He said he would discuss the Iran issue at length with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Stating, "Xi will also be in the US before the end of this year," Trump said, "There is a lot to discuss with Xi, but I can't say Iran is one of them." Trump used the expressions, "Iran will either do the right thing, or we will finish the job."
In an interview with WABC Radio, Trump said he was 100 percent sure that Iran would stop uranium enrichment and abandon efforts to produce nuclear weapons.