With the first official visitto the US by Hu Jintao since he became China’s presidentin 2003 only weeks away, diplomats are already engaged in the management of nuance.
Should it underline personal ties with President George W. Bush, with a barbecue visit to his Crawford ranch, or be cemented by an official state dinner at the White House with a ceremonial gun salute?
The two presidents will meet in the week of September 6. The emphasis is more on symbolism not substance, or in State Department-speak, “deliverables”. China wants to be seen as an “equal partner” with the US, putting pressure on Mr Hu to present an acceptable face of the rising China. “The most important pillar of China’s peaceful rise and peaceful development is to have good relations with us,” a senior administration official told the FT.
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