President Xi's visit to US a major success

Prior to the visit there were a number of areas of friction between the US and China. At the top of the list were concerns about cyber-theft by Chinese agents and the militarisation of the islands being built by China in the South China Sea. There were also ongoing concerns about human rights and China’s economic downturn which is spilling over into other parts of the world.

The first part of President Xi’s visit largely focused on the business community where he received a warm reception. This is not surprising given China’s deep pockets. The Los Angeles Times pointed out that Chinese investors have bought or created 1,583 US companies over the past 15 years and that investment is accelerating, with a five-fold increase in the last five years.

In the course of his seven-day trip, Xi spoke to business groups, signed investment, trade and cooperation deals, met with IT business leaders and toured Boeing’s headquarters and factory. He also met with the governors of six US states, with the Washington governor commenting that China is the No.1 job creator in the state’s export sector, with nearly a quarter of Washington’s total exports going to China last year. 

On the political side, President Xi articulated a joint position on climate change with President Obama and gave some assurances on cyber-warfare and militarisation in the South China Sea. He also committed US$1 billion (Bt36.4 billion) to a China-UN peace and development fund.

There was just one sour note, struck by US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who tweeted that Xi was “shameless” for chairing a UN event championing women’s rights while persecuting feminists at home.

Overall, however, the visit seemed to be a public relations success. The Wall Street Journal commented that it had been carefully orchestrated, opening and closing with events that highlighted China’s power – “he touted business opportunities to top American CEOs in Seattle, then pledged billions of dollars in funding to the United Nations in New York”.

In summary, controversial issues were downplayed, business deals were done, and President Xi made use of available forums to present a Chinese perspective on world affairs. It was therefore an important step towards realising Xi’s goal to “develop a great power relationship with the United States” – one that recognises China’s new status as a rising power. 

President Xi’s next trip will be a state visit to the United Kingdom in October, where he will be staying at Buckingham Palace. I am sure this will be another spectacle closely followed the world over.

 

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