China’s President Xi Jinping speaks at the “Senior Chinese Leader Event” held by the National Committee on US-China Relations and the US-China Business Council on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool Acquire Licensing Rights
BEIJING, Nov 16 (Reuters) – What a difference eight months makes: In March, shortly after the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, President Xi Jinping blamed it for challenges faced by China’s economy, complaining of “all-round containment”.
Then on Wednesday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi agreed to open a presidential hotline, resume military-to-military communications and work to curb fentanyl production, showing tangible progress in their first face-to-face talks in a year at a summit in California.
While key issues like U.S. sanctions on chip exports remain unresolved, Chinese state media is now striking a different tone, focusing on Xi’s smile during past trips to Iowa, fireside chats with its residents, and sharing chocolates with Biden.
Clips from the summit on China’s social media show the two leaders walking in…
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