Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has concluded his historic visit to the US. The man — who loves pomp and ceremony — must have been in his element, in the world’s most powerful nation, discussing relations between world powers.
US President Barack Obama is a very well-informed man and is very aware of what makes Chinese people tick. He knows their customs and made sure that Xi was given a state banquet, to make sure he was given sufficient face back home.
The visit happened to coincide with that of the widely popular pontiff, Pope Francis. The pope’s popularity, and indeed the media coverage of his visit, far surpassed Xi’s.
China’s state-owned enterprises and private companies spent a lot of money placing advertisements in the New York Times. They also paid for sponsored columns in the Washington Post to ensure Xi was afforded a warm welcome upon his arrival in the US. This was somewhat contrasted by the response of the US business community and the media, which was filled with criticism and doubts about China and its leader, Xi.
The pope and Xi represent two very different things. One represents a tiny nation with few people, but a huge religious community. The other, a vast military and political power, with a huge population, but with none of the freedom of religious belief of the smaller nation. China is a nation with little regard for human rights and an undisguised ambition to dominate others. Both before and after they visited Washington there was a stark contrast in their every move.
The pope went to the White House in a Fiat — a car that looks like a toy — it is simple, practical, warm and not at all ostentatious. The US media broadcast the whole event live, with the pope standing up in his open car, waving his hands and blessing the people along the way. Wherever he went, people gave him a warm welcome and showed their enthusiastic response to his true feelings of love compassion and concern for them.
Xi rode in a large VIP car to the White House. He sat there, all stiff and cold, holding a ritual salute. US media completely ignored him.
Cable networks broadcast the pope’s whirlwind visit to New York in its entirety.
Unlike Xi, the pope did not dine on lobster and lamb chops, but chose instead to spend time with the homeless of Washington eating fried chicken, green beans, carrots and salad. This hardly came as much of a surprise, given how close he is to the public. And of course the public, in turn, responded to his warmth.
Xi’s publicity people were caught off-guard when US House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner announced his resignation in the Washington Post, stealing Xi’s thunder. The surprise resignation was headlined across five of the six front-page columns. Four columns were devoted to the pope, while just one column covered Obama and Xi.
The rising helmsman of a great power met the pope. The coverage was so overwhelming that Xi might well call his military advisers and ask: “How many missiles does that old man have?”
James Wang is a media commentator.
Translated by Clare Lear
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