Do Not Be Fooled by Xi

Never take what Xi says at face value; instead, watch what he does closely.

Photo by Trey Musk on Unsplash

The world breathed a sigh of relief after U.S. President Biden and Chinese Communist Party leader Xi met at the recent G20 gathering in Indonesia. In the post-summit Press Conference, President Biden proclaimed that all was good, that there would be “no new Cold War,” and “no imminent “threat of Beijing invading Taiwan.” What made President Biden so sure about all these? He said, “I’ve met many times with Xi Jinping, and we were candid and clear with one another.”

Biden’s assurance and arrogance reminded me of Neville Chamberlain, the U.K. Prime Minister who assured his nation and the rest of the world that he had achieved “the peace for our time” after his summit with Adolf Hitler in 1938.

If there is one thing the world should know about Xi, it is that never take what Xi says at face value; instead, watch what he does closely.