President Donald Trump's granddaughter is helping him charm Chinese President Xi Jinping on his swing through the People's Republic.
In the middle of tea on Wednesday, Trump reportedly used a tablet to share videos of his granddaughter Arabella Kushner, the 6-year-old daughter of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, showing off her Mandarin-speaking skills. After watching the clip, Xi said Arabella deserved "an A-plus" for her singing and reciting talents.
Arabella is not on her grandfather's 12-day Asia tour, but she sang the popular Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower and recited Chinese poetry for Xi and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan when the pair visited Mar-a-Lago in April. At that time, Xi applauded Kushner for her performance and encouraged her Mandarin studies.
During the Chinese New Year, a video of her singing "Happy New Year" with a Chinese marionette went viral after Ivanka posted it on Instagram with the caption, "Wishing everyone an amazing year to come during these days of celebration."
Mandarin lessons for the first family cost upwards of $75,000 annually. Arabella started taking her lessons from the private Carousel of Languages school in Manhattan when she was 3 years old. Joseph Kushner, the president's 3-year-old grandson, also takes lessons, and even 1-year-old Theodore Kushner has been spotted playing with building blocks decorated with Chinese characters.
It's arguably one of the strongest points of his relationship with the Chinese people, with some people remarking they "much prefer" Arabella to her grandfather, reported The New York Times. The state-run Chinese newspaper Global Times said Arabella's interest in Chinese culture shows the Trump family's "acknowledgment" of China's "achievements and its potential."
Trump unapologetically brags about his granddaughter's love for China and — like most grandfathers — finds any excuse for her to show off her talents. In the middle of a July interview with The New York Times, Arabella walked in to say hello to Trump and the president asked her to say "hello" and "I love you, Grandpa" in Chinese.
"She's great," Trump said, before taking some credit himself. "She speaks fluent Chinese. She's amazing... Good, smart genes."
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