JAKARTA - Imagine you have just attended a luxurious party at your neighbor's house. You are served warm tea, invited for a leisurely walk in a beautiful rose garden, and when you go home, you are given a beautiful gift in the form of souvenirs.
Normally, the package would be displayed in the living room. However, for the entourage of US President Donald Trump who had just visited the official residence of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Zhongnanhai, Beijing, the fate of the package ended tragically: it landed directly in the trash, just before they stepped into the presidential plane Air Force One.
A unique contrast, isn't it? On one side there is the warmth of diplomacy, on the other hand there is high-level suspicion.
Fake Romance in the Rose Garden
If you just look at the surface, Trump's visit to China this time feels so warm. Xi Jinping welcomed Trump like an old friend. The two were caught on camera walking leisurely among ancient trees and blooming roses.
The meeting, which lasted almost three hours, ended with a tea party and an intimate lunch. Only they, aides, and interpreters were present.
"It's really been an incredible couple of days," Trump told reporters, visibly impressed by the host's hospitality.
However, in the world of geopolitics, a warm cup of tea never really contains only tea. Behind the friendly smile, Xi Jinping slipped a stern warning about Taiwan - reminding that with just a little misstep, the US and China could be dragged into a physical conflict. A subtle threat that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately dismissed as "normal diplomatic practice" in Beijing.
"Clean Sweep" Procedure Before Flying
The real tension was captured in a unique moment at the airport, just before the United States party took off back to Washington.
Emily Goodin, a journalist from the New York Post who was in the entourage, captured a tickling scene via the X social media. She told how American security staff moved agilely to collect all the gifts from the Chinese side.
Not only luxury souvenirs, the confiscated items include:
The identity card of the delegation used during the event. Official badge of the visit. Up to a disposable mobile phone (burner phone) that was used by White House staff while in Beijing."American staff took everything... and threw it into the trash under the stairs (of the plane)," wrote Goodin. The rules are absolute and uncompromising: No one from China can breathe air inside Air Force One.
Between Courtesy and Fear of Being Adopted
The action of "cleaning" under the plane's stairs sparked interesting speculation. Why should plastic ID cards and badges be thrown away?
The answer is modern paranoia - or in the language of intelligence: god-level vigilance. In an era of absolute technology like today, a small badge or business card can be infiltrated by a micro-wave spy, a tracking chip, or a super-small eavesdropping device that can record sensitive conversations on the US presidential plane.
In the end, the diplomacy of these two superpowers is indeed like dancing on thin ice. They can walk side by side in the rose garden, throw compliments in front of the camera, and toast to warm tea. However, once the music stops, vigilance remains number one. Because in the dictionary of security of the United States, it is better to lose politeness by throwing away souvenirs, than to come home with an electronic "dark passenger" in your pocket.
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