Joe Biden and Xi Jinping have slurped noodles together in Beijing. They've shared deep thoughts about the meaning of America during an exchange on the Tibetan plateau. They've gushed to US business leaders about developing a sincere respect for each other. The American President has held up his relationship with Xi as evidence of his heartfelt belief that good foreign policy starts with building strong personal relationships.
But as the two leaders prepare to hold their first Presidential meeting on Monday, the troubled US-China relationship is demonstrating that the power of one of Biden's greatest professed strengths as a politician -- the ability to connect -- has its limits. "When it comes to US-China relations, the gaps are so big and the trend lines are so problematic that the personal touch can only go so far," said Matthew Goodman, who served as an Asia adviser on the National Security Council in the Barack Obama and George W. Bush administrations.
The White House officials have set low expectations for Monday's virtual meeting: No major announcements are expected and there's no plan for the customary joint statement by the two countries at the end, according to administration officials. The public warmth -- Xi referred to Biden as an "old friend" when Biden visited China in 2013 while the then-US Vice President spoke of their "friendship" -- has cooled now that both men are heads of state.
Biden bristled in June when asked by a reporter if he would press his 'old friend' to cooperate with a World Health Organisation investigation into the coronavirus origins. "Let's get something straight: We know each other well; we're not old friends," Biden said. "It's just pure business." Biden nonetheless believes a face-to-face meeting -- even a virtual one like the two leaders will hold Monday evening -- has its value. "He feels that the history of their relationship, having spent time with him, allows him to be quite candid as he has been in the past and he will continue to be," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in previewing the encounter.
Biden and Xi, ages 78 and 68 respectively, first got to know each other on travels across the US and China when both were Vice Presidents, interactions that both leaders say left a lasting impression. Of late, there have been signs that there could be at least a partial thawing after the first nine months of the Biden administration were marked by the two sides trading recriminations and by unproductive exchanges between the Presidents' top advisers.
Chinese bloggerjailed for 'insulting'soldiers who diedin Galwan clash
A travel blogger in China has been sentenced to seven months in prison for "insulting" the tombstone of PLA soldiers who died in the Galwan Valley border clash with India, local media reported on Monday. A local court in Xinjiang province also ordered Li Qixian to publicly apologize through the media within 10 days, Chinese state media tabloid Global Times reported.Back in July this year, the Chinese blogger travelled to a cemetery located in the Karakorum Mountains in Northwest China. According to the Chinese state, Qixian first stepped on the stone base engraved with the name of the cemetery and then leaned against a monument marking the cemetery. "He also posed next to the tomb of Chen Xiangrong, who sacrificed his life at the Galwan Valley border clash, with a smile on his face, making a pistol-like gesture toward the tombstone," according to the local investigation.Li shared the photos on popular Chinese social media WeChat. The blogger deleted the photos but later published them on "Toutiao News", a move that was heavily criticized by Chinese netizens.Earlier this year, a popular Chinese blogger was sentenced to eight months in prison for his comments regarding military casualties of the Galwan Valley clash with India. Qiu Ziming, an internet celebrity with more than 2.5 million followers, on Monday received a jail term for 'defaming Chinese martyrs'.
