From spy balloons to chocolates: Chinese propaganda frames Xi Jinping's US pivot

What a difference eight months makes: In March, shortly after the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, President Xi Jinping blamed it for challenges faced by China's economy, complaining of "all-round containment"...

While key issues like U.S. sanctions on chip exports remain unresolved, Chinese state media is now striking a different tone, focusing on Xi's smile during past trips to Iowa, fireside chats with its residents, and sharing chocolates with Biden...

It also sends a signal of approval to the bureaucracy and businesses on engaging with Americans.. "It reflects a very strong desire on the part of Chinese leaders to stabilise relations with the U.S. and push for more cooperation," said Li Mingjiang, international relations scholar at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore...

"There's this fundamental message in the Chinese narrative that the Chinese leader is capable of managing China-U.S. relations ... he is the one who gives instructions to the U.S. and the American leadership on how to manage the bilateral ties."..

With official ties still strained, Chinese state media has focused on relations between the people and emphasised the potential for cooperation and importance of the summit for the Asia-Pacific region...

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