WASHINGTON(National Times)- Donald Trump’s son Eric, who oversees the family business empire, will accompany the US president on his trip to China next month, a spokeswoman for the family organisation said on Tuesday.
Eric and his wife Lara will accompany Trump in a personal capacity on the May 14 to 15 visit, Trump Organisation spokeswoman Kimberly Benza said.
“Eric is deeply proud of his father and the accomplishments of this term, and is attending in a personal capacity as a supportive son. He does not have business ventures in China nor plans on doing business in China. “He will not be participating in private meetings, but will instead stand alongside the president to mark this historic occasion.”
Nevertheless, the move could raise concerns about a possible conflict of interest, given that Trump’s personal wealth and business dealings are managed by Eric and other members of his family.
Eric Trump is executive vice president of the Trump Organisation, overseeing investments spanning real estate, golf and blockchain. Lara Trump, a former co-chair of the Republican National Committee, hosts ‘My View with Lara Trump’ on Fox News.
Criticism of Biden’s son
Donald Trump had criticised his Democratic predecessor, president Joe Biden, for allowing his son Hunter to accompany him to China when Biden was vice president. He accused the younger Biden of using his influence to secure China’s financial backing for his investments. In 2019, Trump publicly invited China to open an investigation into his political rivals.
The Biden family has denied wrongdoing. “President Trump looks forward to travelling to China to discuss many issues of shared importance between our two countries, including enhancing fair trade, improving economic cooperation, and ending the flow of fentanyl precursors into the United States,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.
“This trip will build on the past year of constructive dialogue.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House has said Trump fully complies with financial ethics and reporting requirements.
A spokesman for Donald Trump Jr said the president’s eldest son, who is also an executive vice president at the Trump Organisation, would not join the trip.
The trip is the first by a US president in eight years and is aimed at stabilising relations between Beijing and Washington.
But some US companies had also hoped Trump’s visit could go further than approving deals on Chinese purchases of soybeans and Boeing aircraft.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said last month Eric Trump’s business dealings with Bitmain, a Chinese cryptocurrency mining equipment maker, posed a potential conflict of interest for his father, who has promised to be the “crypto president” and popularise mainstream use of cryptocurrencies in the United States.
Warren asked the Commerce Department to address potential national security risks linked to Bitmain, which has supplied equipment to a cryptocurrency mining venture co-founded by Eric Trump, American Bitcoin. Bitmain has repeatedly denied that its hardware poses a security risk. Miami, Florida-based energy and technology firm Hut 8 launched American Bitcoin last year to focus on bitcoin mining while building a strategic bitcoin reserve. Eric Trump serves as chief strategy officer.
