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ExclusiveUS first lady not travelling to China with Trump
Melania Trump skipping Beijing trip as US president heads to China alone for first state visit since 2017
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US President Donald Trump departed for a three-day state visit to China on Tuesday without first lady Melania Trump, travelling instead with Cabinet officials and business executives in a delegation that contrasts sharply with the pageantry of his 2017 visit.
Hours before his departure, the office of the first lady confirmed Melania’s no-show in an email response to the South China Morning Post. “First lady Melania Trump is not travelling this time,” a spokesperson said.
The confirmation comes a day after the SCMP reported that Brett Ratner, the director of the documentary Melania, is travelling to China as part of the Trump delegation.
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Melania Trump accompanied the US president during his last trip to China in 2017.
Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, did not directly address the First Lady’s absence, telling SCMP, “China and the US are maintaining communication regarding the specific arrangements for President Trump’s visit to China”.
On Tuesday, President Trump boarded Air Force One with a large entourage, including his son Eric Trump and his wife Lara Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
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