Summit with Trump sends a message home for Xi
State media are hailing the meeting as a much-needed stabilisation of Sino-US ties, but some analysts say it could also benefit China’s president in the lead-up to this year’s party congress
Mainland state media are portraying President Xi Jinping as a strong leader who managed to stabilise China-US relations during two days of meetings with his US counterpart Donald Trump in Florida.
But some analysts say the real importance of last week’s summit was in building Xi’s political portfolio ahead of this autumn’s keynote 19th Communist Party congress.
Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said in an editorial on Sunday that the Chinese president’s first meeting with Trump at the latter’s private retreat in Florida had “built friendship and trust” and set the tone for a “stronger, higher and prettier” bilateral relationship that could last for decades.
Xinhua said Xi and Trump built good working and personal relations during their seven hours of conversation in various meetings at Mar-a-Lago.
“It shows there is a stable transition of China-US relations after the inauguration of the new administration,” Xinhua reported, adding that “highly efficient, smooth and harmonious meetings between the two state leaders play an important role”.
