In this week’s episode of China Insider, Miles Yu discusses three seemingly unrelated stories from Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Washington: the guest list at the White House state dinner, Xi’s invitation for 100,000 young Americans to study in China, and the arrival of two giant pandas at the Atlanta Zoo. First, Miles notes how chief executive officers of major Chinese corporations and other Chinese business elites were notably absent at the White House state dinner in stark contrast to America’s star-studded business delegation to Beijing in May. He highlights what this tells us about the lack of political independence of entrepreneurs and all other citizens in China. Miles then analyzes Xi’s invitation for young Americans to study in China and the accompanying Chinese state narrative on the issue, including the fact that existing and proposed future student exchanges lack reciprocity and academic freedom for Americans in China. Finally, he looks beneath the cute veneer of China’s delivery of two giant pandas to the Atlanta Zoo, discussing how this is part of an effort by Beijing to help rebuild its foothold in the American South after the 2020 closure of the Houston consulate, as well as how the lovable panda bears themselves have been weaponized by Beijing in global diplomacy for decades.
China Insider is a weekly podcast project from Hudson Institute’s China Center, hosted by China Center Director and Senior Fellow, Dr. Miles Yu, who provides weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.