Ivanka Trump won Chinese trademarks because of her dinner with Xi Jinping
| Ivanka Trump won Chinese trademarks because of her dinner with Xi Jinping | |
|---|---|
| UNSUPPORTED | |
| "China granted Ivanka Trump trademarks as a reward for her family's dinner with President Xi Jinping." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | False Context Conspiracy Theory |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2017 |
| Origin | Reports of April 18, 2017 that China had given provisional approval to three Ivanka Trump trademarks on the day of the Mar-a-Lago dinner |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-03 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
The claim that Ivanka Trump won Chinese trademarks because of her dinner with Xi Jinping mixes a documented coincidence of timing with an unproven motive.
What the evidence shows
- The timing. Reports in April 2017 said China provisionally approved three trademarks for Ivanka Trump's brand on April 6, 2017, the night she and Jared Kushner sat beside Xi Jinping and his wife at Mar-a-Lago.
- Chinese response. China's Foreign Ministry said trademarks are handled according to law with equal protection for foreign holders.
- Company response. A brand spokesperson said the filings were defensive, to stop counterfeiters and squatters. The trademark applications had been pending for some time.
- Ethics criticism. Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter said she should have put the business on hold while in government, and a trademark lawyer cited by NPR called the timing 'very suspect.' Other experts said the timing could be coincidence.
- Scope. Ivanka Trump Marks LLC had 16 registered trademarks in China and dozens of pending applications at that time.
Why it persists
The optics are real: a presidential family member's company benefits from a foreign government while the family deals with that government. The claim of cause is an inference.
Lessons for readers
- Timing is evidence of an ethics problem, not proof of a quid pro quo.
- Trademark approvals follow a slow process; check when the application was filed.
- Apply the same standard to every administration's business conflicts.
See also
- Ivanka Trump's fashion brand is made in America
- Ivanka Trump's private email use was nothing like Hillary Clinton's
Sources
- Boston Globe, 'Ivanka Trump got approval for trademarks in China the day she dined with Chinese president,' April 18, 2017.
- NPR, 'China defends trademark grants for Ivanka Trump products,' April 19, 2017.
- Salon, Daily Beast and Government Executive coverage, April 2017.