It quickly became apparent in Anchorage, Alaska, last month that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s diplomatic envoys had not come with olive branches. Instead, they brought a new worldview.
As expected by Biden administration officials at their first meeting with their Chinese counterparts, Yang Jiechi, Mr. Xi’s top foreign policy aide, and Foreign Minister Wang Yiask asked them to address Trump-era policies aimed at China. Beijing wanted to re-establish the kind of recurring “dialogue” that Washington considers a waste of time, U.S. and Chinese officials say reported on the Alaska meeting.
Yang also gave a surprise: a 16-minute lecture on racial problems and democratic failures in the United States. The goal, Chinese officials say, was to make it clear that Beijing is considered equal in the US. He also warned Washington to challenge China for a mission that Beijing considers sacred: eventual reunification with Taiwan.
This is a big change for Chinese leaders, who for decades tried not to challenge the United States as a world leader and followed Deng Xiaoping’s ruling set decades ago: “Keep a low profile and wait your time.” Some senior Chinese officials privately (often sarcastically) called the US Lao Da, or Big Boss.
Now, Mr. Xi is reforming the relationship. As for him, the time has come for China.