From their deliberate smiles to their carefully chosen words in public at the G20 summit, it was clear that both Xi Jinping and Joe Biden wanted to address widespread concerns over the dangerous downturn in their relationship
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskPast slights, perceived or deliberate, are long remembered. Chinese officials were incensed for years after Hu Jintao visited the White House as president in 2006 and the Americans announced China’s national anthem as that of the “Republic of China”—Taiwan’s official name—then let a protester heckle Mr Hu at a news conference.
But as both sides fleshed out their respective accounts of the three-hour meeting, a less harmonious picture emerged, one that reflected a hardening of attitudes on the most divisive issues between them, especially Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims. There were also revealing discrepancies, notably on Ukraine. And in meetings with other leaders at the20 summit in Bali, Mr Xi and Mr Biden both sought support for initiatives that reflect their sharply conflicting worldviews.
Chinese readouts likewise struck a conciliatory tone in parts, saying Mr Xi had pledged not to try to displace America or change the international order. He too called for co-operation in areas of global concern. But he spent considerable time expounding Taiwan’s history, stressing that it was China’s “first red line”. He emphasised ideology, defending China’s political system and rejecting Mr Biden’s portrayal of a global contest between democracy and authoritarianism.
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