CCPs Preparations for Trumps Visit Are Chaotic and Over-the-Top, Local Residents Say

The Chinese regime’s preparations for President Donald Trump’s visit were chaotic and over-the-top, according to insiders and residents in Beijing who spoke with The Epoch Times.Trump is visiting Beijing to meet China’s ruling communist party’s (CCP) leader Xi Jinping from May 13 to May 15.Authorities in Beijing closed off a road in front of the North Gate of the Temple of Heaven that Trump planned to visit and carried out overnight road repairs on May 12, according to videos posted on social media and in media reports, which have drawn international attention. Multiple heavy-duty engineering vehicles were seen laying asphalt.As to why the road at the North Gate of Temple of Heaven was not repaired earlier when Trump’s itinerary was confirmed, Ma Ping, an insider with close ties to the Chinese regime’s diplomatic circles who used a pseudonym out of fear of reprisal, told The Epoch Times that there are currently two explanations.“One suggests that the relevant departments within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs overlooked the condition of the road surface along Trump’s motorcade route, and only remembered the issue at the very last minute, which led to a rush job carried out overnight,” Ma said.“The other attributes the delay to a dispute related to two construction firms over funding for the road repairs. Specifically, the authorities allocated insufficient funds, leaving neither firm willing to take on the project. I do not know which of these accounts is the true one.”Beijing residents left comments on social media about the rushed road repair ahead of Trump’s visit.“This road has been bumpy for years with no one to fix it, but the moment foreign guests were due to arrive, it was completely paved smooth overnight,” one resident said on condition of anonymity.“If Trump visits a few more times, all the roads in Beijing will finally get fixed,” another resident said, also on condition of anonymity.‘Face-Saving Projects’Liu, a retiree in Beijing who only gave her last name out of fear of reprisal, told The Epoch Times that prior to major international events, there is invariably a concentrated flurry of road repairs, wall repainting, and traffic enforcement measures in Beijing.“It happens this way every time. Issues that go unaddressed during ordinary times are suddenly—just as foreign dignitaries are about to arrive—tackled citywide through massive construction projects and beautifying touch-ups. The Communist Party is all about these ‘face-saving projects,’” she said.Zhou, a Chinese cultural scholar who gave only his last name out of fear of reprisal, told The Epoch Times that in recent years, whenever the CCP hosts major diplomatic events, it addresses city repairs in a sudden, last-minute fashion.“Many public welfare issues have gone unresolved for extended periods, and citizens’ complaints are routinely ignored,” he said.“What truly drives the resolution of these livelihood issues is often high-level official activity or international pressure. Even China’s five-day workweek is, in fact, a result of pressure from the United States. I observe that the general public welcomes foreign officials’ visits—especially when the U.S. President visits mainland China.”Late AnnouncementMa said that the authorities’ arrangements for hosting Trump’s visit to Beijing were a “complete mess,” noting that everything—including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ announcement schedule, the foreign delegation’s itinerary, and related preparatory work—underwent multiple rounds of revisions.“The plan was originally to make the announcement of Trump’s visit on May 6, but it was later pushed back to May 8. It wasn’t until May 11 that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eventually made the official announcement of Trump’s state visit to China,” he said.Wang, an insider familiar with the Chinese regime’s diplomatic affairs who only gave his last name out of fear of reprisal, told The Epoch Times on May 12 that during Trump’s first visit to China in 2017, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released the itinerary approximately one week in advance; this time, however, it was not released to the public until just two days prior, which was significantly shortened.“This indicates that many details may not be finalized until the very end, as both the itinerary and the subjects of the talks are highly sensitive—including the hotel where Trump would stay, for which two alternative arrangements have remained under consideration,” Wang said.Tightened ControlSecurity measures on the streets of Beijing have been visibly tightened prior to Trump’s visit. Several hotels near the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, along the East Third Ring Road, have suspended guest services for the duration of Trump’s visit, according to hotel staff who spoke with The Epoch Times.At the Four Seasons Hotel—where Trump is scheduled to stay—a staff member who didn’t give their name out of fear of reprisal told The Epoch Times, “The identification details of all staff members have been re-registered, and temporary employees have been notified in advance to take two days of leave during Trump’s visit.”Zhang, a Beijing resident, who only gave his last name out of fear of reprisal, told The Epoch Times on May 12, “Yesterday, while taking my grandson home, I passed by the Four Seasons Hotel. Boy—there were so many police cars! You had to go through security checks and show your ID just to enter or exit the building, and there were numerous Armed Police sentries stationed all around the hotel. Isn’t this because Trump is staying there?”A maintenance notice is seen outside the closed doors of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven on May 12, 2026, in Beijing, China. In a rare occurrence, the popular historic site has been closed for the next three days in preparation for a tour by U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Kevin Frayer/Getty ImagesThe Temple of Heaven in Beijing was closed on May 12 for maintenance, according to a park notice at its closed entrance. To prepare for the visit of Trump and CCP leader Xi Jinping, this renowned historical landmark was to undergo a rare three-day closure.The Beijing Temple of Heaven Park Administration also issued a notice announcing that the park would be closed to the public from May 13 through May 14.Sun Chen and Li Jing contributed to this report.