If you judge a visit by its protocol, Xi Jinping has reason to be happy with Barack Obama’s hosting skills. The man who ten months from now will take over from Hu Jintao as president of China has been given the plushest of red carpet receptions this week. No previous China vice-president has received a 19-gun salute or an Oval Office meeting with the president. Yet none also faced the likelihood China’s economy would overtake the US within their term of office – Mr Xi is set to lead China until 2023. Mr Obama is thus making a wise upfront investment in the future of the world’s most important bilateral relationship.
So much for the etiquette. On the substance, the two strategic rivals look far apart. Whether it is the continued growth of the trade deficit, which last year hit a record $295bn in China’s favour, or China’s United Nations veto last week of the resolution on Syria, the number of differences are growing. Three years ago, Mr Obama made an awkward debut trip to China in which he essentially offered his hosts a “G2” partnership to tackle the world’s problems. Mr Obama was spurned. Today, a more experienced US president is executing a “pivot to Asia” - driven as much by demand from China’s neighbours, as it is by US strategic thinking.
So much for the context. Will this week’s exchanges help things? That might be too ambitious. Mr Obama made a point of criticising China’s crackdown on dissent, and its close relations with countries like North Korea and Iran. He also complained about growing instances of intellectual property theft and the persisting undervaluation of the remninbi against the dollar. Yet Mr Obama was careful to wrap his words in Valentine’s Day red roses.