The outstanding place of the photograph on the entrance web page of China’s primary official newspaper spoke volumes: In it, the nation’s leader, Xi Jinping, smiled and shook palms with President Biden towards a backdrop of Chinese language and American flags.
For months, the newspaper, Folks’s Every day, has featured Mr. Xi’s warnings that China should metal itself militarily and politically for an period of strife, denunciations of American coverage and Communist Celebration officials’ warnings that “hostile forces” — that’s, america — had been wanting to sabotage China’s rise.
A day after Mr. Xi and Mr. Biden met for almost three hours, the upbeat image of the 2 males within the paper on Tuesday, in addition to guardedly hopeful feedback from China’s overseas minister, Wang Yi, added to indicators that Beijing is wagering that the nations can arrest a downward spiral in relations, even when deep disagreements persist.
“This assembly was each a continuation of exchanges thus far, and augurs a brand new start line,” Mr. Wang told reporters after the summit, in accordance with a Chinese language Overseas Ministry transcript that additionally appeared in Folks’s Every day.
“The U.S. and China ought to present the world that they can handle and management their variations,” he stated.
However Mr. Wang additionally supplied a reminder that the lengthy standoff over the way forward for Taiwan stays a supply of potential disaster. Mr. Xi, like different Chinese language leaders, has insisted that the self-ruled island ultimately unify with Beijing.
Within the talks with Mr. Xi, Mr. Biden stated that Washington would maintain to its “one China” coverage, which acknowledges Beijing’s declare to the island however doesn’t go so far as accepting that declare, and opposes any steps to unilaterally change the standing of Taiwan.
On that and different factors of disagreement, together with human rights and sanctions, Mr. Wang indicated that the Biden administration wanted to do extra to reassure China’s leaders.
“Cease attempting to include and beat down China, cease meddling in China’s home affairs, and cease hurting China’s sovereignty, safety and growth pursuits,” he stated.