When President Biden meets with President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, China’s diplomats want to know what Mr. Xi will be looking at, and to make sure the scenery does not include protesters.
Nearly every minute they spend together, from the number of steps it will take Mr. Xi to reach a chair when he enters a room to the specific timing of their handshake, will be part of a highly choreographed diplomatic dance, one designed to give them the space to try to defuse a year of bubbling tensions.
The ceremonial details have now been hashed out.
But compared with the U.S.-China summits of a decade ago or more, the expectations for substantive agreement are minimal, at best.
The leaders, they said, could announce a resumption of military-to-military communications, which were suspended by the Chinese after Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in the summer of 2022.
Persons:
Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Nancy Pelosi
Organizations:
U.S ., Economic Cooperation
Locations:
United States, China, California, Asia, San Francisco, Taiwan