By Shannon Tiezzi
Most of Xi’s speech was familiar to China watchers, but there were some interesting notes on the cyber front.
On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Seattle for the first leg of his highly anticipated state visit to the United States. He wasted no time jumping into a packed agenda – after arriving at Paine Field in nearby Everett, Washington, Xi held meetings with local Seattle and Washington officials, attended the U.S.-China Governors’ Forum in Seattle, and then headed to a welcoming banquet in his honor.
It was the banquet that attracted the most attention, as Xi gave his first (and only) major policy speech of his U.S. trip. The speech was everything we’ve come to expect from a Xi oration: grand pronouncements mixed with personal touches. Xi waxed poetic about his time in an impoverished village as a “sent-down youth” during China’s Cultural Revolution. He even found time to crack a few jokes, referencing the U.S. television show “House of Cards” and chuckling as the audience applauded a story about Ernest Hemingway inspiring the Chinese leader to order a mojito in Cuba.
But from a policy standpoint, there was little new substance to Xi’s speech. It contained all the typical beats – references to the usual slogans (the “Chinese dream,” China’s peaceful rise, and “new type major country relations”); promises that China’s economic reforms will continue even as growth remains in the “medium-high” range; reassurances that China does not seek to overturn the current world order and is not scheming to extend its political influence at the expense of the United States. The speech was well-delivered and carefully crafted, but the messaging itself was familiar.
To me, the most interesting part was the section on cyber issues. That topic is newer to Chinese top-level political discourse, so the message here is more interesting – particularly as Xi’s phrases here may become a new cyber mantra. Beijing has moved beyond the simple statement that “China is also a victim of hackers” (though that refrain also appeared in Xi’s speech), toward a fuller discussion of China’s stance on cybersecurity.
Read the full story at The Diplomat