Did the Biden-Xi meeting move the needle or maintain the status quo?
The US and China seem poised for new era of Panda Diplomacy as tensions between the two superpowers remain high


To hear President Joe Biden tell it, his four-hour meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping — their first face-to-face conversation in nearly a year — was the "most constructive and productive" sit down between the pair since they each assumed their respective offices. That enthusiasm, cautious as it may have been, was tempered a few moments later with Biden's subsequent affirmation that he would continue to call Xi a "dictator" as "he is a guy who runs a communist country that is based on a form of government totally different than ours."
"Anyway," Biden insisted, as he ended his brief press conference following the bilateral meeting, "we made progress."

To the extent that this highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of these two global superpowers could be condensed into a single interaction, that was it: optimism and obstinance, progress and precaution. For as much as expectations were high ahead of the conference, the end result seems to be a decidedly mixed bag of familiar posturing and feints toward genuine cooperation. There were promises of renewed lines of communication on both the military and political levels, agreements on how best to tackle fentanyl production, discussions on the looming threats posed by artificial intelligence, and other, similarly discrete accomplishments. Xi's hint on Wednesday that he may send more panda bears to the United States as "envoys of friendship" was a sign that the fractured and frozen "Panda Diplomacy" between the two nations may indeed be thawing and on the mend — but isn't there yet.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
So how much did Biden and Xi's meeting really move the diplomatic needle for their respective nations, and what can we expect will happen now that they've talked face to face?
What the commentators said
If the fact that Biden and Xi met at all is a sign of how significant and crucial a functional U.S.-China relationship is in the 21st century, the "low expectations" set by both nations ahead of this week were a "stark reminder" that the pair "disagree on nearly all of the most consequential issues," according to the Council of Foreign Relations' Asia Studies Fellow David Sacks. Tangible accomplishments notwithstanding, the fact is that both nations are in a "long-term strategic competition that is driven by structural factors" likely to intensify in the immediate future.
Biden's insistence on describing Xi as a "dictator" was a "closer reflection of the increasingly frosty relationship between the two powers" than any of his praise for the agreements made this week, Politico reported. It also dovetailed with Biden's broader reelection theme of a global "fight for survival between democracy and autocracy." In spite of "small wins," Biden's "dictator" remarks "threatens to overshadow" the summit at large, Bloomberg agreed, noting how "expectations were low" for the meeting to begin with.
Highlighting the "good reasons" for Biden and Xi to sit down and negotiate with one another, the Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal nevertheless questioned whether "any of these verbal commitments will matter given the Chinese Communist Party's ideology and ambitions." Biden should send a "sterner message" to Xi, and back it "with more hard power."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
What next?
Biden seemed to acknowledge the lowered expectations for this week's meeting, explaining during his press conference that while the U.S. and China remain "in a competitive relationship" his goal is to "make this rational and manageable so it doesn't result in conflict." For Xi, meanwhile, this week's visit was as much about portraying China "as a friend to foreign companies — because he needs them," The New York Times reported. Posturing to that effect is not only important for China's economy, but is a "good image to project to his audience back home" as well.
Ultimately, both countries will likely continue on their respective paths no matter what, former U.S.-China envoy Robert Daly explained to The New Yorker before Biden and Xi met on Wednesday. "Neither nation is willing to reconsider its nation's interests or goals."
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Under siege: Argentina’s president drops his chainsaw
Talking Point The self-proclaimed ‘first anarcho-capitalist president in world history’ faces mounting troubles
-
Sarkozy behind bars: the conviction dividing France
In the Spotlight Sarkozy speaks to the press with wife Carla Bruni at his side outside a Paris courtroom after the guilty verdict
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
Rise of the far-right: what’s behind the popularity of Vox in Spain?
The Explainer Disillusioned younger voters are being drawn to Santiago Abascal’s party
-
Kim Ju Ae: North Korea’s next leader?
The Explainer Kim Jong Un’s young daughter is being seen as his ‘recognised heir’ following a high-profile public appearance at China summit
-
'Axis of upheaval': will China summit cement new world order?
Today's Big Question Xi calls on anti-US alliance to cooperate in new China-led global system – but fault lines remain
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to US
Speed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
US, China extend trade war truce for 90 days
Speed Read The triple-digit tariff threat is postponed for another three months