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Xi and Biden show open, friendly face of summit while broaching the big issues
- The presidents’ virtual meeting had ceremony and symbolism, from their sartorial choices to their historic settings
- China’s president may have referred to his ‘friend’ and the American leader recalled their past, but many points of friction remain in the US-China relationship
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An exchange of friendly waves opened the high-stakes virtual meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden, with Xi briefing Biden on the Communist Party sixth plenum that paved the way for his third term.
A conciliatory tone was set even though the world leaders went on to flag areas of disagreement during the 3½-hour meeting.
In Beijing, the summit began on Tuesday morning when Xi and his aides marched into the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People – where some of China’s top political meetings have been held – and were seated according to Chinese protocol for formal top-level meetings.
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Biden – meeting late on Monday night US time – chose to be in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, where top political nomination announcements have been made.
The high-level diplomatic protocol had a touch of informality when the two leaders waved with a smile once they saw the other on the screen, with Xi referring to Biden as his “old friend”.
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