[US-China Summit] "Tiantan Park Visited by Trump and Xi Jinping, the Starting Point of Nixon's Détente Diplomacy"

"Kissinger Visited More Than 12 Times"
"Emphasizing Messages of Détente and Coexistence"

The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven), which was visited by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping following their summit, is a symbolic location where détente diplomacy began under the Nixon administration in the 1970s. It is analyzed that China included this location in the summit schedule with the aim of easing tensions with the United States.

On May 14, after holding a summit for more than two hours in the morning, President Trump and President Xi visited Tiantan Park, a famous site in Beijing, in the afternoon and held a friendly conversation. The two leaders visited the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the park's landmark, and took commemorative photos.

SCMP stated, "Tiantan was the place where emperors in the past offered grains and prayed to heaven for bountiful harvests. It was also the favorite site of former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who spearheaded détente diplomacy with China under President Richard Nixon in the 1970s. He visited here more than 12 times, and it was the place he visited even before President Nixon's historic trip to China in 1972."

The report added that China included Tiantan Park as one of the summit locations as a gesture of reconciliation toward the United States. Prior to the summit, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement emphasizing, "We must remain committed to the principle of mutual respect, uphold the line of peaceful coexistence, and strive for prospects of mutually beneficial cooperation."

Meanwhile, Tiantan Park, which the two leaders visited on this day, is one of Beijing's most famous tourist attractions and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in 1420 during the Ming dynasty, its total area is about 2.7 million square meters, more than four times the size of the Forbidden City.

The Chinese government began controlling the surrounding area from May 12, before President Trump's arrival, and restricted access to the Tiantan Park area entirely on May 13 and 14 in preparation for the visit of the two leaders and their event.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.