, Columnist
Xi Is Looking for Friends in All the Wrong Places
Rather than romancing the US, China’s leader should be patching up relations with his country’s closest neighbors.
Befriend the near.
Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
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Chinese President Xi Jinping’s summit with his US counterpart Joe Biden last week accomplished at least two goals. The talks temporarily stabilized what Xi calls the world’s most important bilateral relationship. And, judging by effusive official media coverage, they burnished his image as a world leader in the eyes of the Chinese people.
If Xi really wants to improve China’s geopolitical position, however, he ought to start courting leaders closer to home.