Vice President Han Zheng, China’s agent at Donald Trump’s opening, is a trusted assistant to President Xi Jinping and a long-time victim of Chinese politicians who rose from slaving on a shared land and in companies to becoming one of the most powerful people in the country.
Why was Han chosen for this delicate goal? China’s decision to send Han, rather than its ambassador to Washington as it has in the history, appears to be a carefully calibrated message that it is willing to improve relations with the U. S. while never leaving Xi exposed to censure if ties increase.
Many of the most controversial bilateral problems involve industry, with Trump threatening to impose 60 % levies on imports from China. But relationships have likewise frayed over systems and China’s techniques to assert its territorial claims in the South China Sea and over Taiwan. Han has considerable experience with both diplomacy- especially meeting and greeting international delegations- and with projecting China’s essential concerns in a lower-key manner than some Foreign officials.
What’s Han’s history? Han was born in the commercial hub of Shanghai in 1954, five centuries after the socialist revolution, when much of the state’s good established international impact was being swept away. Like many young Chinese, Han was sent to the landscape during the 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution to “learn from the villagers” on purchases from then-leader Mao Zedong. Several of such” sent down youngsters” on their return to the locations found work in state-run business.
Han rose up the in Shanghai during the 1980s and 1990s, only as China’s market was catching flames, continuously holding Communist Party and executive positions in the chemical and plastic industries. There he caught the eye of senior leaders and was elevated to district-level government before becoming the Shanghai’s mayor and then party secretary, the city’s highest position, following a financial scandal involving his predecessor. Xi had briefly held the position after the scandal, giving Han direct access to him before him became China’s new leader.
What impact is Han’s visit likely to havet? In 2017, Han reached the apex of Chinese political power, the party’s seven-member Politburo Standing Committee. After serving one five-year term, he was given the position of vice president, a post that Xi has imbued with new weight as adviser and envoy.
His presence seems to embody Xi’s desire to put U. S. relations on a more stable track, particularly when it comes to trade. On Sunday, Han met with U. S. Vice President-elect J. D. Vance and business leaders, including Elon Musk, who has grown close to Trump.
Throughout his career, Han has shown a flair for low-key diplomacy, helping to deal with unrest in Hong Kong and attending numerous international events such as the U. N. General Assembly. Though Han often goes unnoticed due to his ranking in the Communist Party hierarchy, Xi apparently believes he is the man for the job when a subtle hand is needed to establish a positive atmosphere to avoid major pitfalls during Trump’s second term. Beijing appears to have put considerable thought into how receptive Trump, who is known to be an admirer of Xi’s and who places great store in personal relationships, will be toward Han.
