Xi who must be obeyed
At one point, Mr Xi told Mr Biden that his father, a former vice-premier, and relatives had suffered during China’s chaotic Cultural Revolution. The official Chinese interpreter apparently was so flummoxed by Mr Xi’s comment that he never translated it into English.
Such eyebrow-raising candour is rare. But “Xi communicates quite easily with foreign leaders,” said one European diplomat who met him last year. “He’s quite critical about the Cultural Revolution, saying there were mistakes made. I found that striking.”
