Business Standard

Saturday, December 21, 2024 | 07:41 PM ISTEN Hindi

Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

Xi greets Biden as 'old friends' but reference not necessarily real

Chinese leader Xi Jinping greeted U.S. President Joe Biden as "old friend" at the start of their first video meeting, using an expression that Biden has pushed back on.

Biden Xi
Premium

US President Joe Biden, left, speaks as he meets virtually with Chinese President Xi Jinping, on screen, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Reuters Beijing/Washington
Chinese leader Xi Jinping greeted U.S. President Joe Biden as "old friend" at the start of their first video meeting, using an expression that Biden has pushed back on.

In China, the expression "lao peng you" connotes fondness and shows a level of familiarity and trust, and when said by Xi, 68, reflects a shared history that dates to August 2011, when the two held hours of conversations and travelled in Sichuan province - before either had reached the highest office.

Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, said Xi's use of the expression is a show of genuine

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

What you get on BS Premium?

  • Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.
  • Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.
  • Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.
  • Preferential invites to Business Standard events.
  • Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.
VIEW ALL FAQs

Need More Information - write to us at assist@bsmail.in