The highly anticipated U.S.-China summit, which stirred much buzz, failed to produce any significant results. After an intense period of negotiations and preliminary contact, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the U.S. for the first time in six years, but sources close to the matter say the meeting lacked any major breakthroughs.
From a news perspective, defined by ‘new things,’ the two leaders’ actions were quite uncooperative. Neither side made any new statements or conclusions about China’s ‘thorny’ issue with Taiwan, and they remained tight-lipped about U.S. sanctions related to semiconductor equipment. Although some underground negotiations may have been reached through private and working-level talks, it’s likely that these discussions are being kept under wraps as it’s not the right time yet. Both issues are highly sensitive and not something to be exposed lightly.
Other outcomes brought forward by both sides were limited to the resumption of high-level military communication and the increase of flight frequency, the latter being a negotiation with the ‘lowest’ difficulty level. Even within China, the only significant strategic result was the “resumption of military communication,” as assessed by Professor Xin Hong of the International Relations Department at Renmin University of China.
However, some believe that President Xi Jinping made some progress in terms of his international image through this visit. Hua Chunying, China’s Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry and spokesperson, is credited with this achievement. Hua shared various photos and videos from places where reporters were not allowed on her social media network (SNS). A humorous anecdote, where President Biden showed President Xi a photo of ‘young Xi Jinping’ on his cellphone, asking “Do you know who this young man is,” was also made public through Hua.
Hua also shared images of President Xi happily receiving an NBA team jersey from California Governor Gavin Newsom, and introducing President Biden to China’s own brand car, ‘Hongqi.’ She even posted a photo of a Hongqi car and a Cadillac parked side by side (with the Chinese car subtly parked in front), suggesting a closer physical distance between the U.S. and Chinese leaders compared to their meeting in Bali in 2022 and planned meeting in San Francisco in 2023. All these images subtly conveyed a friendly message. Of course, it’s unlikely that all these scenes were posted solely based on Hua’s personal judgment and decision.
Regardless, China’s SNS diplomacy was relatively successful. Bloomberg reported that “the usually stoic Xi Jinping showed a softer and friendlier side in San Francisco,” and noted that “a few hours after reminiscing about his first visit to the U.S. 38 years ago with President Biden, he received an NBA team jersey and promised to send a panda to a U.S. zoo.”
As long as China continues its technological advancements challenging U.S. hegemony, fierce competition and mutual checks and balances will remain the default in U.S.-China relations. This summit merely allowed both countries to clearly express their thoughts, whether on the political/diplomatic stage or in the economic sphere. However, the meeting’s significance lies in the fact that both sides dropped their previously harsh rhetoric and tried to present a friendlier face, even if it was a facade. The fact that every Chinese state-run media outlet covered the ‘young Xi Jinping’ photo in the same way days before the summit is evidence of this intentional effort to project friendliness.
Beijing – Special correspondent Kim Hyun-jung
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