News analysis

What did the Chinese get out of Biden-Xi meeting?

An outdoor screen in Beijing showing a news programme about Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting US President Joe Biden during the Apec summit. PHOTO: AFP
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BEIJING – The Chinese audience liked the convivial moments between their President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Mr Joe Biden, with videos of these moments going viral on Chinese social media.

One was when Mr Biden shared with Mr Xi a 1985 photo of the latter posing near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the city the two men were visiting this time for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit. The two men broke into laughter when Mr Xi recognised himself in the photo.

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