Between substance and appearance: China’s « smile diplomacy » towards Japan decrypted

Much has been made of the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Abe and President Xi Jinping, a “new start” in bilateral relations, that took place on November 11, after the APEC meeting in Da Nang (Vietnam).Julian Ryall, « Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe Say it is a Fresh Start for Japan », South China Morning Post, 19-11-2017 on http://www.scmp.com/weekasia/geopolitics/article/2120455/xi-and-abe-say… Commentators – including in China – put the stress on the length of the meeting and the “smiling face” of both leaders. During the summit, Xi Jinping mentioned the recent increase of “positive developments” between Japan and China.Japan-China Summit Meeting, 11-11-2017 on http://www.mofa.gov.jp More significant maybe, after this first meeting with Xi, China arranged for another meeting with Prime Minister Li Keqiang, that took place in Manila after the ASEAN summit. After years of tensions, the leaders of both countries thus succeeded in meeting twice, for a significant period of time, in less than a week.« Abe-Li Meeting Sign of Improving Japan-China Ties », Japan Times, 13-11-2017

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