A long interview with Joe Biden, a standing ovation from business leaders, “panda diplomacy”: Xi Jinping carried out a charm operation during a whirlwind visit to the United States, but it will have to be translated into action, according to experts.
Because beyond the gestures of goodwill and good words, nothing says that China will fundamentally change its modus operandi and they will have to be followed by concrete measures if the Chinese president intends to benefit from them in the face of the slowdown in the Chinese economy. countries and the flight of foreign capital, they say.
The Chinese president certainly benefited from a prestigious platform in San Francisco, where he participated in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Associated with several agreements with the United States, including one on the reestablishment of military communications, this is the mark of a successful visit.
“For China, Xi’s ability to secure a prominent platform in San Francisco to speak with American business leaders is a success in itself,” said Nathaniel Sher, an analyst at Carnegie China.
“Partner and friend”
The Chinese leader increased the courtesies.
He said he was ready “to be a partner and a friend of the United States”, during a dinner with bosses on Wednesday evening including Tim Cook of Apple, Laurence Fink of BlackRock and Albert Bourla of Pfizer.
He also spoke with the richest man in the world, Elon Musk.
And he hinted at an imminent return of pandas to the United States, as “emissaries of friendship”.
In a written speech on Thursday, Mr. Xi further invited companies to invest and strengthen their presence in China, promising “comforting” measures to “facilitate the investment and activities of foreign companies in China.”
But U.S. investors are likely to be cautious as the world’s second-largest economy slows and confidence weakens.
The Chinese leader did not participate in person in the parallel summit of APEC CEOs, notes Trivium China in its newsletter.
Repressive laws, police raids targeting multinationals, abusive detentions and anti-trade practices “all have a deterrent effect on foreign investment”, recalls Mr. Sher.
However, multinationals “above all want more legal and regulatory predictability” in China, and “not just declarations of intent on a win-win exchange,” he says.
“Potential turning point”
On the political level, the tête-à-tête on Wednesday lasting more than four hours with Joe Biden represents a success for Xi Jinping, according to observers.
The United States and China have a common goal of stabilizing their relations, Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd said.
“This means reopening old lines of political, diplomatic and, now, military communication,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the APEC summit.
“In conclusion, it is through use that we can judge the results. The framework is there, it is measurable. What will it be in practice? », added the former Australian Prime Minister, emphasizing for example that the re-establishment of communications between military personnel is “only a first step”.
Uncertainty remains regarding China’s intentions regarding Taiwan, over which Beijing claims sovereignty, and whether the Chinese army will change its behavior.
For Zheng Wang of Seton Hall University, this first visit by Xi to the United States in six years and the summit with Joe Biden represent “a potential turning point” in bilateral relations after years of tensions.
“Stable and constructive relations between the United States and China are necessary for both sides,” he said.
But President Xi could have gone “much further” to reassure the United States and the international community about China’s intentions, underlines Mr. Sher.
And if renewal in China “implies a rejection of the existing international order, nothing Chinese leaders say in international forums will prevent the United States and its partners from seeking to hinder Beijing’s rise,” he concludes.