Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner China visit cancelled

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s trip to China may have been cancelled because some officials in the White House decided the couple were not suitable to make preparations for US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, the South China Morning Post reports. Douglas Paal, vice-president for studies in the Asia program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said John Kelly, the chief of staff of the White House, did not think Kushner would be an appropriate channel even though he helped to establish contacts between China and US officials in the past. He said the preparation for Trump’s visit should be made through appropriate channels, for example, through Chinese state councillor Yang Jiechi. “Channels need to be maintained by responsible and accountable officials,” he said. Yang met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when he stopped over in Washington on Tuesday after visiting Jamaica.