U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida and discussed important issues on the global economy and sensitive security issues such as the nuclear crisis in North Korea.
The meeting was highly anticipated and regarded as a determinant of the world's future in trade and security. Trump was very vocal with his disagreement with China's policies and even accused Xi of currency manipulation and violating trade regulations.
However, the meeting was softened as the American president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, ushered in her two children, Arabella and Joseph, to recite poems and serenade the Chinese president and first lady.
"We wanted to make you feel at home," Ivanka said.
The children sang a Chinese folk song titled "Jasmine" and recited verses from the "Three-Character Classics" as well as Tang dynasty poems.
Ivanka Trump was observed as employing tactics to warm the relations between the U.S. and China. The presidential daughter has no distinct role in the cabinet but is seen to be eager to help her husband, Jared Kushner.
Kushner is a special assistant to the president and is tasked to broker deals with domestic and international leaders such as Xi.
Ivanka Trump made a special appearance at the Chinese embassy in Washington during the Lunar New Year festivities.
The visit by the presidential daughter was the first high-level act of diplomacy from the first family.
According to Zhang Baohui, a professor of political science at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, "Beijing is keenly aware that Trump relies closely on a very small group of advisers to guide him on policy issues, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump."
Chinese state media holds Ivanka in high regard and her acts of aiding China-U.S.diplomacy. State-run publication Global Times called her as the "most influential first daughter" and her "words and deeds are also believed to carry more weight."