As Xi Befriends World Leaders, He Hardens His Stance on the U.S.

China has rebuffed calls to restart high-level talks with the United States, raising the risk of confrontation in contested areas like the Taiwan Strait. President Xi Jinping of China with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil last week in Beijing.Credit…Pool photo by Ken Ishii China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, has rolled out the red carpet for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, lauding him as “an old friend of the Chinese people.” He has sipped tea in a garden with President Emmanuel Macron of France, treating him to a performance of an ancient Chinese zither […]

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