U.S. media outlets have offered mixed reviews on the recent summit between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, held after a year-long hiatus. The meeting was noted for its symbolic significance of ‘stabilizing relations,’ but expectations were initially low. Particularly, President Biden’s repeated reference to President Xi as a “dictator” during a press conference was seen as a stark reminder of the ongoing chilly relations between the two countries and a reaffirmation of the deep-rooted conflicts between them.
CNN, on November 16 (local time), reported on the summit, held near San Francisco, with the headline ‘Low Expectations Met at U.S.-China Summit.’ The network suggested that “the fundamentals of the relationship will not change,” and while the summit was held and therefore successful, the atmosphere after four hours of conversation in a situation where both sides had set deliberately low expectations and had significant motivation to declare productivity was hard to be considered a success.
The outlet pointed out that both President Biden, who is facing an election next November, and President Xi, who needs to show his domestic supporters that he can control the relationship with the U.S. amidst a challenging economic situation, had an inevitable need to ease tensions through this meeting. It highlighted the symbolic significance of stabilizing relations through the resumption of military dialogues, stating that “even reducing the threat of miscalculation and misunderstanding can justify President Biden’s decision to meet with President Xi.” However, it emphasized that “this important but incremental progress will do little to alleviate the fundamental factors driving the U.S. and China into more dangerous competition,” calling it an “unbridgeable divide that cannot possibly be resolved by a single summit.”
Political media outlet Politico pointed out that the chilly relations between the U.S. and China were still evident through two moments in President Biden’s press conference following the summit. When asked if he still views President Xi as a dictator as he was leaving the conference after answering scheduled questions, Biden responded, “Yes.” In response to a question about whether he trusts Xi, Biden revealed lingering mistrust, saying, “There’s an old saying, trust but verify.” The outlet reported that “President Biden’s candid assessment further reflects the increasingly frosty relations between the two countries,” and that “deep divisions were evident beneath the superficial greetings of the two leaders.”
The outlet also briefly mentioned the outcomes of the summit, such as the resumption of military dialogues, strengthening cooperation in response to fentanyl, and the resumption of new climate change talks, stating, “The biggest win President Biden was hoping for was a reset of the relationship, i.e., cooling the temperature between the two. According to President Biden, it was successful now.” However, like CNN, it indirectly criticized the low expectations set for the summit and the uncertainty of when the results of the summit might be overturned. The two leaders had agreed on the so-called ‘Five Nos,’ including not pursuing a new cold war or regime change in China, at a meeting in Bali, Indonesia, a year ago, but relations between the two countries have since deteriorated due to issues such as U.S. export controls on China and the Chinese spy balloon incident.
Bloomberg also evaluated that “Expectations were low due to deep disagreements over trade, Taiwan, and human rights, and even the modest achievements of the summit were hard-won.” The agency reported that on the day of the summit, President Xi met with Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, and others, saying, “China will never bet against the U.S. or interfere in its internal affairs,” signaling how much work remains to be done. It also highlighted President Biden’s continued reference to President Xi as a dictator, emphasizing that “the results of the summit could be overshadowed.”
Congressional news outlet The Hill also focused on President Biden’s reference to his counterpart as a dictator, saying, “President Biden once again called his opponent a dictator. A move that could unsettle the already shaky relations between the two superpowers,” and “It was the second time this year that President Biden referred to President Xi as a dictator.” The New York Times (NYT) diagnosed that “There were significant disagreements between the two sides on fundamental issues such as how to define the relationship between the two countries, even though they agreed to suppress fentanyl and resume military communications at this summit.” The NYT reported, “President Xi criticized U.S. efforts to contain China as futile, but acknowledged that U.S. technology restrictions have hit hard,” and “His message reflects a set of sometimes contradictory priorities.”
There were also positive reviews on the symbolism of the summit itself and some of its outcomes. The Associated Press (AP) reported, “The two leaders failed to resolve any major geopolitical issues where their countries are in conflict, but they adopted a conciliatory tone that could be comforting to other countries, especially China’s neighbors,” and “Sometimes, just shaking hands and sitting down can be enough.” The Washington Post (WP) evaluated that “The two leaders agreed to resume military dialogue, seeking to ease tensions in the relationship during a time of global chaos,” and “Although the scope is small, these two agreements are rare signs of cooperation between the two strongest countries in the world, which have been in conflict over trade, cyber and maritime security, human rights, and other urgent issues.”
In addition, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted that President Xi did not mention trade or investment measures during a dinner with American business leaders, where he said, “China is ready to be a partner and friend of the U.S.” According to a roundup of major foreign media outlets, about 300 people attended the dinner, and 44, including CEO Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and Bridgewater Associates CEO Ray Dalio, sat at the table with President Xi.
Meanwhile, John Kirby, the White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator, said in an online briefing with reporters, “President Biden was very satisfied with the progress made during the four-hour meeting yesterday,” and “We were able to make very important progress.” However, he did not specifically answer questions about President Biden’s post-summit reference to President Xi as a dictator.
New York=Special Correspondent Cho Seul-gi seul@asiae.co.kr
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