Editor’s Observe: Join CNN’s In the meantime in China e-newsletter which explores what it is advisable to know concerning the nation’s rise and the way it impacts the world.

Hong Kong
CNN
 — 

Chinese language chief Xi Jinping offered an amicable China prepared to enhance ties with the USA in a landmark assembly with US President Joe Biden Wednesday, marking a noticeable shift in tone for Beijing because it appears to be like to reduce friction with Washington.

Whether or not that shift is a long-lasting one for the contentious relationship can be put to an instantaneous take a look at, nonetheless, by feedback made by Biden throughout a solo press convention after the assembly. There, the President reiterated his view that Xi is a “dictator,” after being requested by a reporter whether or not he stood by a remark saying as a lot this previous June.

At that time, Beijing reacted with vitriol, with the comment seen as casting a shadow over tentative progress in advancing dialogue between the 2 sides following a go to from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

When requested about Biden’s newest remark at a Chinese language Overseas Ministry briefing on Thursday, a spokesperson referred to as it “extraordinarily faulty” and an “irresponsible political maneuver, which China firmly opposes.”

“What must be identified is that there’ll at all times be some individuals with ulterior motives making an attempt to undermine China-US relations. They won’t reach doing so,” spokesperson Mao Ning mentioned.

It’s nonetheless unclear whether or not there can be any additional response this time, however the response comes as China’s signaling across the San Francisco Bay Space assembly between Xi and Biden has marked a shift away from its hardline place on the USA. This softening comes as China grapples with a troubled economic system and is eager to spotlight Xi as a strong and succesful world chief.

In line with statements from each the US and China Wednesday, the 2 sides agreed to revive navy communications and to fight the stream of fentanyl from China to the US throughout a number of hours of “constructive” conferences.

China labeled the talks as “constructive” and “complete” — whereas additionally highlighting Xi’s efforts to spell out Beijing’s non-negotiables resembling its place on Taiwan and perceived American efforts to comprise China’s rise.

On Chinese language state media and throughout social media platforms, the place the hashtag #Planet-Earth-Is-Huge-Sufficient-For-Each-China-And-The-US was trending, the broad notion seemed to be of a job nicely finished.

Chinese language state broadcaster CCTV highlighted how Biden invited Xi for a stroll across the leafy property the place the assembly passed off and that the American chief “personally escorted him to his automotive to bid goodbye” — a element that was additionally highlighted in one other top-trending hashtag on Chinese language social media.

The constructive protection of the occasion was a break from the standard rhetoric important of the US that usually performs throughout Chinese language state and social media. Anti-US rhetoric has been a big theme boosting development in Chinese language nationalism as tensions flared between the 2 lately.

The optics of a heat welcome and the show of a commanding presence subsequent to Biden are critically essential for Xi, who analysts say was not solely eager to stabilize a sophisticated relationship at a time of financial weak point, but in addition to current himself to his home viewers as skillfully helming China’s international affairs.

Xi’s go to got here because the Chinese language economic system struggles with a property market disaster, excessive native authorities debt and document youth unemployment. On the similar time, crackdowns throughout a number of sectors have pummeled enterprise confidence and led many to query what alternatives remained in China.

“These challenges are great,” mentioned Alfred Wu, affiliate professor on the Lee Kuan Yew College of Public Coverage on the Nationwide College of Singapore, who famous that in California, Xi wished to point out viewers again house his “management capability within the international affairs enviornment” and that he’s extremely regarded in America and a world chief on par with Biden.

A press convention with China’s Overseas Minister Wang Yi in California following the bilateral assembly additionally underscored a few of these optics.

Wang famous that Biden despatched a “separate invitation to President Xi Jinping particularly to carry a heads of state assembly,” not like different bilateral assembly preparations occurring throughout the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation (APEC) discussion board that Xi and different leaders from throughout the Pacific are on the town to attend.

“(The Xi-Biden assembly) is certain to grow to be a milestone … and a serious occasion in right this moment’s worldwide relations,” Wang mentioned, stating that the four-hour face-to-face talks had been held “amidst the backdrop of a important stage in China-US relations.”

Xi additionally took a conciliatory tone talking at a dinner occasion in entrance of American CEOs later that day.

He advised the viewers essentially the most basic query shaping US-China relations is whether or not they’re rivals or companions.

“If we regard one another as the largest rival, essentially the most important geopolitical problem and an ever-pressing risk, it would inevitably result in improper insurance policies, improper actions and improper outcomes,” Xi advised an viewers that included Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

“China is keen to be a companion and good friend of the USA,” he added.

Whereas it helped to advance dialogue and cooperation, the assembly was additionally an opportunity for each side to spotlight their variations — and confirmed areas the place they didn’t attain consensus, which analysts say will proceed to outline their contentious relationship.

And even inside areas the place they two sides did come to settlement, there stays fragile floor.

China’s announcement of the restoration of navy communications, which the Biden administration had lengthy pushed for, mentioned these would resume “on the idea of equality and respect.”

“What meaning is sooner or later anytime China is aggravated with something the US does, China can say it’s slicing off military-to-military dialogues once more and blame it on the US (for) now not making China really feel ‘revered,’” mentioned Wen-Ti Sung, a Taiwan-based fellow with the Atlantic Council’s International China Hub.

“(This) undermines the idea of the talks’ resumption and existence,” he added.

On Taiwan, the self-ruling democracy that China’s ruling Communist Social gathering claims, Xi urged the US to cease arming the island and to help China’s “peaceable reunification,” based on China’s readout of the assembly launched by state media.

“China will ultimately obtain reunification, and can inevitably obtain reunification,” Xi was quoted as saying — one other line that was additionally trending on Chinese language social media following the assembly.

Biden, for his half, reaffirmed the long-standing American place on Taiwan and its opposition to any unilateral adjustments to the established order, saying cross-strait variations have to be “resolved by peaceable means,” based on a readout from the White Home.

Xi additionally referred to as on the US to “not scheme to suppress or comprise China,” in an obvious reference to America’s strengthening of its alliances in Asia and what Beijing sees as efforts to stymie its financial growth with commerce and funding restrictions on excessive tech. Washington says these curbs are supposed to guard its nationwide safety towards an assertive and authoritarian China.

“Each side ought to perceive one another’s rules and backside traces,” Xi added.

The deep considerations every has concerning the different’s intentions are unlikely to be soothed after one assembly. How these agreements are executed within the weeks and months to return say a lot about whether or not China and the US are each dedicated to lasting stability.

“The assembly signifies that the US-China relationship just isn’t going to additional worsen within the subsequent yr, however will it rebound in a short time and grow to be considerably hotter very quickly? I’d say no,” mentioned Liu Dongshu, an assistant professor specializing in Chinese language politics at Metropolis College of Hong Kong.

“After all, Xi Jinping needs higher US-China relations, however (Beijing) realizes … the elemental truth (is) that the US needs to comprise China, so their expectation is that hotter relations are good, however so long as they don’t worsen, they will settle for that,” he mentioned.

One speedy indicator of how relations will progress could also be seen in any additional response from Beijing to Biden’s “dictator” remark, and whether or not its state media and social media platforms proceed gloss over the remark to concentrate on the constructive outcomes from Wednesday.

Biden himself appears to point hope that the 2 can work by means of their variations as he famous that “(Xi) is a dictator within the sense that he’s a man who runs a rustic that’s communist” and that the Chinese language authorities “is completely completely different than ours.”

“Anyway,” he added. “We made progress.”