Chinese Premier Li’s G-20 debut eclipsed by President Xi in state media
The Straits TimesSep 11, 2023
The Facts
US Pres. Joe Biden has revealed that he held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the recently concluded G20 summit in New Delhi — the highest-level meeting between the two nations since discussions between Biden and the PRC Pres. Xi Jinping 10 months ago.
Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on Sunday, Biden stated that his team and staff "still meets with President Xi's cabinet" and claimed that his meeting earlier in the day with Li "wasn't confrontational at all."
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
Li Qiang's time at the G20 summit can't be viewed as a success for Beijing. While Chinese media chose to focus on Xi Jinping's trip to the north-eastern Heilongjiang province, Li's minimal meetings in New Delhi led to very few wins. China's presence at the G20 summit lacked influence — providing an excellent opportunity for India to shine as a leading Asian nation and the US to reaffirm ties in the Middle East.
Pro-China narrative
China is a global economic powerhouse — comprising 43% of the global economy pre-pandemic — and Beijing and Washington have every opportunity to peacefully coexist. Sadly, US fears of China's power have damaging international consequences in a multipolar world. Washington must accept that there's enough space for both Chinese and American growth in the world.
Nerd narrative
There's a 19% chance of a US-China war before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
