November 16, 2023

"Meeting with President Biden for the first time in a year, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, reiterated his determination to unify with Taiwan..."

"... but stopped short of mentioning the potential use of force. He denounced what he called futile American efforts at containing China, but also acknowledged that U.S. tech restrictions had taken a toll. And he broadcast that China had global ambitions for its influence — while also trying to reassure the world that those ambitions did not have to lead to conflict with the United States...."

 From "In Talks With Biden, Xi Seeks to Assure and Assert at the Same Time/China’s depiction of Xi Jinping’s U.S. visit reflected his sometimes-contradictory priorities: to project both strength and a willingness to engage with Washington" (NYT).

"Mr. Xi also struck a softer tone than usual at the banquet dinner with American business leaders.... Mr. Xi spoke about the American pilots known as the Flying Tigers who aided China during World War II against Japan. He hinted at the prospect of China’s sending new pandas to the United States. And he reminisced about the time he lived with an American family in Iowa in 1985 as part of an agricultural exchange...."

73 comments:

RideSpaceMountain said...

Seeing Blinken react to Biden's 49,543rd senior moment is like watching the Simpson's episode where Lisa breaks Ralph Wiggum's heart by refusing to be his girlfriend.

That little unscripted moment was truly worth millions of words.

RNB said...

"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock." -- Will Rogers

Dogma and Pony Show said...

I could never quite understand why the PRC so badly wants to retake Taiwan. What's the material benefit? It's a very small island compared to mainland China, and presumably it'd cost them a lot of money/military assets to seize it, even assuming the U.S. doesn't go all in to assist the Taiwanese in defending it. What's the big payoff to offset entering into a new era of antagonism with the west?

If the U.S. had some small FORMER territory that had been independent, or say under say Canadian or Mexico control, for the last 75 years, I can't imagine we would make it a priority to try to recapture it militarily. Am I just being naive?

n.n said...

NYT infers state of mind with crumbs of scattered facts lathered with em-pathetic appeals.

Quaestor said...

"[Xi] broadcast that China had global ambitions for its influence — while also trying to reassure the world that those ambitions did not have to lead to conflict with the United States...."

In others, Xi seeks a co-prosperity sphere in Greater East Asia. Rest assured Governor Newsom is eager to cooperate.

The remarks about the American Volunteer Group are deliciously ironic in context, lost without a doubt on the communist dictator -- both of them.

Owen said...

I would do anything for more pandas in our zoos.

To hell with Taiwan!

Fredrick said...

Will that be pandas and no fentanyl or just fentanyl free pandas?

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

He hinted at the prospect of China’s sending new pandas to the United States.

A Free Taiwan or Pandas at the zoo?

That falla Xi sure is a tough costumer.

Iman said...

All these biz leaders paying $40k to hear Xi’s lies and then giving him a standing ovation.

Saluting the very corksoaker who wants to destroy Western Civilization.

stlcdr said...

"...first time in a year"

Meaning he has had previous meetings with the Chinese leader.

"...unify with Taiwan..."

Is this the same as Putin saying he is determined to unify with Ukraine?

Joe Smith said...

We get pandas, he gets Taiwan.

Not sure if that's a good trade or not.

Must think about it...

Hassayamper said...

Gavin Newsom will never be President.

American taxpayers want safe streets, they want homeless veterans not to have to sleep under bridges while illegal alien invaders are housed in $300 per night hotel rooms, they don't want to step in human feces every time they run to Starbucks. This stuff should transcend party politics.

But Gavin Newsom and the far left fringe laugh contemptuously at these simple and sensible requests from the people who pay the freight, when they are not calling them fascists and racists for holding such beliefs.

Then when a Communist dictator comes to visit, Gavin Newsom and his minions race to kiss his ass, and clean up the Potemkin-village of San Francisco for him in a manner that would meet with the approval of Rudy Giuliani in the days when he was Mayor of New York. This will never be forgotten.

Imagine what our noble ancestors would have done to enemy scum and filth like Newsom. I hope to see a vigorous revival of their spirit.

Bob Boyd said...

That's awesome. I'm sick of the old pandas.

Amexpat said...

Great that we're on speaking terms with China again and I hope it leads to something meaningful. Getting a bunch of lazy Pandas is meaningless.

ga6 said...

Updated Dr Strangelove....

Sheridan said...

Did the family in Iowa have the opportunity to show Xi the inner workings of a combine? Have to be careful with dropped wrenches. Too bad the Great Man Theory of history is passe.

Dave Begley said...

Pandas in exchange for 100k dead Americans thanks to China's fentanyl.

Yeah, Xi thinks Americans are idiots. We'll do anything for money. And who can blame him? He bought Joe Biden for less than one year's salary for an average NFL QB.

planetgeo said...

Surely, I'm not the only one who is getting awesome flashbacks and quotes from the movie, "Mars Attacks" while watching and listening to Biden and Xi? Here's a sample:

“I want the people to know that they still have two out of three branches of the government working for them, and that ain’t bad.” – President Dale

“Don’t run! We are your friends!” – Martian Translation Device (as the Martians start blasting everyone in sight)

RideSpaceMountain said...

The guy next to John Kerry is priceless. His expression is literally "I cannot believe the fucking shit I'm hearing come out of this old coot's mouth but maybe if I sit motionless the shocked look on my face I can't control right now might escape scrutiny".

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Unify?

Is that like when the leftwing media used the word "Annex" to refer to Russian's taking parts of Crimea when Obama was president?


Taiwan does not want "unification" or a take-over.

n.n said...

Is this the same as Putin saying he is determined to unify with Ukraine?

No. The Ukrainians in Crimea and Eastern half have been under assault by Kiev and Kiev-aligned forces since the Western-backed coup overthrew the legitimate government in a Slavic Spring with "benefits". Taiwan is the Crimea and Eastern Ukrainian analog, but with America's half-hearted opposition to the PRC. There is labor and environmental arbitrage to consider.

n.n said...

Xi thinks Americans are idiots

Labor and environmental arbitrage, diversity, slavery, immigration reform in Tibet... Americans may not be idiots, but the bennies for babies are intoxicating.

wendybar said...

Such a wonderful welcome for the guy who released a deadly virus that killed millions of people. Shame on us for bowing down to the dictator who owns the Biden family.

Rich said...

Biden always brings out the better side of Xi, who I suspect spends far too much of his own time in Beijing with so called ‘wolf warriors’ snapping at his heels. They are like China’s version of MAGA. Always looking for trouble. Always trying to start a fight. Presumably the kind of people who can never get ahead unless there is chaos to slip through. The rest of us don’t need it. Today Biden and Xi are working for the rest of us.

Bob Boyd said...

Maybe Xi will give us 10 pandas. That way Joe gets a whole one.

Charlie said...

I looked at photos yesterday of the US delgation......Biden, Yellen, Blinken and Kerry.

We are a country of 340 million people and that's the best we can do?

Iman said...

That prick Xi should’ve been told the pandas have requested political asylum and they aren’t going anywhere.

rcocean said...

The USA has recongized that Taiwan is part of China since 1976. It supports unification as long as its peaceful.

The Chinese were quite patient in getting Hong Kong and Macao back. They could have taken them by force much earlier than they got them through peaceful methods.

Accordingly, there's zero reason RIGHT NOW, for China to invade Taiwan. However, provoking the Chinese by saber rattling and building up US Forces in tawain may trigger an invasion. Short of that, Chinae will wait. Time is on their side. Their military strength relative to the USA is growing, and the numbers of Chinese immigrants in the USA also grows. Once the Chinese navy and air forces reach a certain size, we won't be able to contest a Chinese invasion of Tawain - even if we wanted. This will make some warmongering boomer cry.

The other point is that libtards like Biden and Schumer hate Putin and Iran. And they love Israel. OTOH, they didn't seem to be as emotionally involved with China or Tawain. So, maybe Biden wouldn't start WW III over Taiwan. Unless he has a senior citizen moment.

walter said...

Xi: Yeah..we're gonna get Taiwan.
But..pandas!

Pedo Pete: (wet fart into diaper)

Kirk Parker said...

"Xi thinks Americans are idiots. "

Do you disagree with him?

Static Ping said...

The people of Taiwan want to be unified with China, too, just not under the current management.

PM said...

Isn't Xi still land-filling to connect Taiwan to the mainland?

TaeJohnDo said...

OH BOY! MORE PANDAS! All we gotta' do is suck chicom dick and then bend over while the stick us in the a@@.

Oso Negro said...

"Dogma and Pony Show said - "I could never quite understand why the PRC so badly wants to retake Taiwan. What's the material benefit? It's a very small island compared to mainland China, and presumably it'd cost them a lot of money/military assets to seize it, even assuming the U.S. doesn't go all in to assist the Taiwanese in defending it. What's the big payoff to offset entering into a new era of antagonism with the west?"

Insecure in their masculinity.

Oso Negro said...

n.n said - "The Ukrainians in Crimea and Eastern half have been under assault by Kiev and Kiev-aligned forces since the Western-backed coup overthrew the legitimate government in a Slavic Spring with "benefits"."

Путін хуйlo

boatbuilder said...

Chinese "unification" with Taiwan sounds an awful lot like Russian "unification" with Ukraine.

boatbuilder said...

Biden always brings out the better side of Xi, who I suspect spends far too much of his own time in Beijing with so called ‘wolf warriors’ snapping at his heels. They are like China’s version of MAGA. Always looking for trouble. Always trying to start a fight. Presumably the kind of people who can never get ahead unless there is chaos to slip through. The rest of us don’t need it. Today Biden and Xi are working for the rest of us.

Holy shit. The mask comes off. You truly are a fascist.

Drago said...

LLR-democratical Rich/C****: "Biden always brings out the better side of Xi, who I suspect spends far too much of his own time in Beijing with so called ‘wolf warriors’ snapping at his heels. They are like China’s version of MAGA. Always looking for trouble. Always trying to start a fight. Presumably the kind of people who can never get ahead unless there is chaos to slip through. The rest of us don’t need it. Today Biden and Xi are working for the rest of us."

Sweet Jesus.

LLR-democratical Rich/C**** actually thought it over, wrote that, thought it would be effective gaslighting, and then hit "publish".

Amazing.

It makes gadfly look 'impressive" by comparison.

Its simply a sign the democraticals/LLR-democraticals really have nothing left at this point ...thus I suspect we have just begun to plumb the deeper depths of lefty stupidity as we saw with the hilariously inept coordinated attack on Musk today for supposed anti-semitism for properly calling out the ADL.

mikee said...

I am so very happy that Mr. Xi wants to conquer the world for the CCP without fighting anyone while doing it.

Wait, what? As Mr. Xi's alter ego Winnie might say, "Oh, bother!"

Rich said...

It will be a huge mistake not to engage with China on all fronts. China is a huge market. China is now leading in many industries and innovating at a fast pace. Cross border investment results in stability. Irrespective of what Europe or US does, China will progress. Engagement means that we can influence the direction of politics and concerns about economic dominance. Being afraid of China's progress or trying to stall it isn't the answer.

Rich said...

Comrade Drago: IBM pulls advertising from Twitter/X after report finding they ran next to Nazi content....

Twitter/X has taken a$ 5b hit on advertisers clashing with Musk. Giving your money to an anti-Semite like Musk is giving support to his views. The brands still feel that associating with fascists is bad for business; reassuring to hear this.

Paul said...

China is our enemy... no 'ifs, ands, or butts'.

Do not deal with them.

walter said...

Is TwitterX a platform or publisher, Rich?
Meanwhie, TwitterX quashes anti-CCP content, Musk having a special relation ship there.

walter said...

As does Biden, Inc.

n.n said...

Путін хуйlo

The obscene term (mat) хуйло́ is variously transliterated as huilo, huylo, khuilo, khuylo, or chujlo. Also there are dialect variants хуи́ла (khuila), хуи́бла (khuibla). Its core is хуй (khuy), literally "penis", in both Russian and Ukrainian. Combined with the suffix -lo, it is a personal insult.

Ok.

n.n said...

"I could never quite understand why the PRC so badly wants to retake Taiwan.

Pride.

Josephbleau said...

"I could never quite understand why the PRC so badly wants to retake Taiwan."

China wants Taiwan because they have the best chip fab plants and China thinks that stealing tech is the way to have good tech. China wanted Hong Kong because it was a great financial center, and taking it over would turn China into London. Not that simplistic, but when Hong Kong came back to China, loss of freedom led to capital flight to places where laws were predictable and based on long term standards.

Look at the Philippines, the Chinese will crash ships into you to prove that their dicks are bigger. But we never get to see the actual dick, show us your dick. Invade Taiwan. Take back all your Pandas.

China educates a bazillion engineers but the youth unemployment rate is over 20%.

In simple terms, China is Asshole.(tm)

Narayanan said...

this means Xi telling FJB >> feel free to Anschluss Canada >> then Trudeau can be Presient that D's want!!

Narayanan said...

That way Joe gets a whole one.
======
sniffworthy and /female?/

bobby said...

I expect XI will be back soon, as Biden ramps up his re-election bid. Xi needs to protect his investment.

Drago said...

LLR-democratical Rich/C****: "Comrade Drago: IBM pulls advertising from Twitter/X after report finding they ran next to Nazi content...."

LOL

No, Media Matters led another anti-Musk/anti-X political attack against X which got a few corporate fraidy-cats running for the hills.

Typical for you leftist sheep.

The only real Nazi stuff showing up these days is all coming from the pro-islamic supremacist, pro-Hamas, and now pro-osama bin laden left.

Drago said...

It appears LLR-democratical Rich/C**** is feeling bitter about the progress SpaceX is making against the democraticals beloved handlers and funders of the Bidens and democraticals: Xi and the ChiComs and thus we are "treated" to hilariously moronic accusations of Musk being an "anti-semite" AND a "fascist"!!!

LOL

I realize LLR-democratical C**** desperately needed to add LLR-democratical "resources" for gaslighting duties at Althouse blog, but the additions of LLR-democraticals lonejustice and Rich/C**** are really falling down on the job here.

Time to gaze out at the LLR-democratical "bullpen" for another reliever or 2. At this point, how could any LLR-democratical replacement perform more poorly than these lonejustice and Rich/C**** cats?

Drago said...

Btw, since we are speaking about "nazi content", can any of the Althouse blog Lefty Little Brains tell us if they have picked up their ISIS flags yet?

ISIS flags and Osama Bin Laden correspondence along with calls for anti-Jewish genocide (From The River To The Sea) is all the rage now on Team Democratical's side.

wendybar said...

Rich said...
Biden always brings out the better side of Xi, who I suspect spends far too much of his own time in Beijing with so called ‘wolf warriors’ snapping at his heels. They are like China’s version of MAGA. Always looking for trouble. Always trying to start a fight. Presumably the kind of people who can never get ahead unless there is chaos to slip through. The rest of us don’t need it. Today Biden and Xi are working for the rest of us.

All I can say is WOW. What a load of crap. Look in the mirror if you want to see what the trouble in America is today. You love your dictators, I see. Jackass.

wendybar said...

Paul said...
China is our enemy... no 'ifs, ands, or butts'.

But Paul, Rich says " Today Biden and Xi are working for the rest of us."

Rich thinks YOU are the enemy.

Mark said...

Drago, your hero Musk like Biden also met with Xi. Where it's reputed Musk gave him head.

So nice of you to cover for Musk's antisemitism and paying out to Twitter accounts that enjoy posting about Hitler.

Didn't you tell me they would be breaking even Q2? So many claims by you, and they've all turned out bullshit.

Leland said...

So let me give this straight... If we give China control over Taiwan and all of the South China Sea including fishing rights all the way up to the shoreline of the Philippines; they'll give us pandas.

I'm sure if they included the Big Guy's 10%, it is a deal for Biden.

Mr. Forward said...

CCP dominates China and much of the rest of the world while the goobers are grateful they don't invade Taiwan.

Drago said...

Dumb Lefty Mark: "Drago, your hero Musk like Biden also met with Xi. Where it's reputed Musk gave him head."

We'll just leave that one right there as a perfect example of your ability to convey reality

Dumb Lefty Mark: "So nice of you to cover for Musk's antisemitism and paying out to Twitter accounts that enjoy posting about Hitler."

The tranparently false and political anti-semitism lies against Musk aren't flying with anyone and coming on the heels of US democratical/LLR-democratical pro-islamic supremacism, pro-Hamas terrorist actions and rhetoric, have completely exposed you guys. So yeah, see if you can gaslight your way out of that one.

Spoiler: Wont work

Ever Dumber Lefty Mark: "Didn't you tell me they would be breaking even Q2?"

Nope!

It was you that claimed X would completely fail by Quarter 2....a laughably stupid claim based on your nearly non-existent, one-dimensional strategic business "understanding" that has been par for the course for you.

But at least your ignorance is at times mildly amusing...like watching a 3 year old staring at the nighttime sky and trying to make sense of the sparkly lights.

Drago said...

And really Dumb Lefty Mark, are you really that anxious to bring up Xi and hic ChiCom teammate paymasters and owners of the Biden family?

Tsk tsk tsk

Drago said...

I was really hoping for a Dumb Lefty Mark "Threads" update.

Readers will recall Dumb Lefty Mark proclaiming Threads was the Twitter/X killer app baby!

My gosh, Dumb Lefty Mark regaled us with almost hourly updates on the massive user acceptance and embrace of the new magical app....for about 3 weeks.

Then Dumb Lefty Mark went full Radio Silence on the subject....almost as if his demonstrably limited comprehension "skills" were overloaded and he simply cant make any sense of the reality slapping him across the face as if it were a freshly hooked tuna.

rcocean said...

"I could never quite understand why the PRC so badly wants to retake Taiwan."

I know its hard to for 'muricans to understand Patriotism and other countries are proud of their heritage and consider themselves a people. But..

Taiwan is considered part of China. It was taken by Japan in 1895, given back to China in 1945, and then you had the Chinese Civil war, and the Nationalists fled to taiwan in 1949, and the island hasn't been ruled by Bejing since that date.

China therefore wants reunificaton. And they've been willing for 50 years to persue peaceful means. But if we keep provoking them and sabre rattling, maybe they will take more forceful actions.

BTW, the same people who want "Free Trade" with China and have built China up to be one the biggest economies on earth, and LOVE Chinese immigration (Gosh, they're so smart and hardworking unlike those damn lazy white people), are the same ones hysterically shouting about "The Chinese Threat" and going to war to protect Taiwan. Go figure.

Drago said...

Btw, here is part of what is driving today's Dumb Lefty lies and false accusations...again...against Musk:

The ADL has, like all leftists do almost daily, changed the definition of racism!

Here's the new ADL definition: The marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial heirarchy that privileges white people.

That's what the far left lunatics that have fully captured the ADL have been called out on.

And properly so.

Mark said...

Drago, you are hallucinating comments I never posted.

Meanwhile you excuse Musk for being on Xi's leash.

Rich said...

When an Asperger afflicted character can’t help himself saying what he’s thinking, believe him.

Elon Musk’s X defends US university student in trouble over posts
“University of Illinois student Juan David Campolargo was accused in early November of violating the school’s student code of conduct after he posted on X promoting an event as an open gathering with free food, when it was a closed conference.”

Can somebody explain how this is a free speech issue? I just don’t see it. The student posted something that was demonstrably untrue and caused harm (albeit minor) to others, and got disciplined over it. The First Amendment is not a free pass to spread falsehoods and cause prejudice to others without consequences. You could argue that the punishment is disproportionate to the harm actually done (and I would agree), but that’s not free speech — more due process. It’s also worth noting that it seems the student hasn’t actually been disciplined yet.

Even for a free speech absolutist this does not seem either worthy or important. I hope Musk sues on free speech grounds, so that he loses and we can protect the First Amendment as it’s actually intended in the constitution.

Drago said...

Dumb Lefty Mark: Drago, you are hallucinating comments I never posted.

Meanwhile you excuse Musk for being on Xi's leash."

The only one hallucinating, even more dangerous when combined with abject ignorance, is you.

And ALL the available Xi Leash Space is already consumed by the Biden's.

Try again.

Drago said...

And surprise surprise surprise: IBM Vuce Chairman Gary Cohn has been funding Joe "Xi's boy" Biden, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and Joe Manchin.

On top of IBM's massive political embrace of BLM and all woke causes after losing cloud services market share to AWS and AI development momentum to basically everyone else!

Gee, who could have guessed the Woke dems running IBM are coming up with ways to deflect from their business failures while continuing to score points with their lefty peers?

BTW, when was the last great product delivered to market by IBM?

Rich said...

Comrade Drago’s Russian to English translation is getting noticeably better.

Drago said...

LLR-democratical Rich/C****: "Comrade Drago’s Russian to English translation is getting noticeably better."

LLR-democratical Rich/C**** once again shows some modicum of wisdom in abandoning his earlier debunked gaslighting talking points once confronted and exposed.

A skill that yet eludes Dumb Lefty Mark...as do most things.

Drago said...

I realize the Althouse blog Little Lefty Brains are having a bit of a difficult day because their clear and undeniable islamic-supremacist/pro-Hamas alliances have been exposed, their politicized lies against Musk designed to remove X prior to the 2024 Democratical Election Season Censorship program is failing and today Americans in San Fran were pulling down ChiCom flags after Biden's ChiCom Handler In Chief and Financual Benefactor Xi departed.

As slways, thoughts and prayers for the Usual Suspects.

And can you imagine the gnashing of lefty teeth, the rending of lefty garments and the leftist howls and screams of despair if tomorrows IFT-2 Starship/Super Heavy test flight reaches orbit after about 1000 Starship-Booster combined iterative design changes/improvements post IFT-1 thus extending US lead over the lefties beloved ChiComs?

Rich said...

I’m not one of those who thought there was a serious risk of China actually invading Taiwan. For sure, there are any number of so called wolf warriors in Beijing who would love to see nothing more. But Xi is not one of those and never was. Yes, he has to contend with them every day, in the same way Biden has to contend with the China hawks across the US. And there are plenty of them both sides of the Pacific. There will always be rivalry between the two top dogs. Once the EU has established its own military it will a rivalry between the three top dogs. But Xi has been able to tell his hawks to take a close look at what invading Ukraine has done for Russia. Why would China do that to itself? Especially as it could be trading instead.

I’m sure Biden and Xi had a very full 4 hours. There is a great deal for them to discuss. The agenda was all on point and the most important outcomes were realized. Especially regarding the reestablishing of back channel’s between the respective militaries. Where there is clear messaging there is less opportunity for misinterpretation, or little sparks starting forest fires. I think things got unnecessarily heated between China and the US under the previous administration, which liked to give the impression that it was throwing it’s weight around all over the place with that offensive ‘America first’ nonsense (think it by all means, believe it even, but don’t say it out loud in public unless you are deliberately seeking to start an argument) and thereby provoking an undesirable response. The mantra going forward must be ‘cool it, communicate and engage in commerce’. One side is always going to win bigger than the other but there is no need for anybody to actually lose.

Tina Trent said...

OK, Rich. Now do Chavez, Castro, and Stalin.

You're even bad at being an idiot mouthpiece.

Drago said...

LLR-democratical Rich/C****: "Once the EU has established its own military it will a rivalry between the three top dogs."

Infinite LOL's!!!

And with that excursion into Rich/C**** ignorance, we will take a well earned break and simply marvel at the complete LLR-democratical C****-like collapse of LLR-democratical Rich.