This week’s APEC forum in Beijing was a very big deal for Xi Jinping and his government. Meticulously planned, packaged, and then presented to the Chinese people, this was another opportunity to demonstrate the Middle Kingdom’s ascent as a global power. Such demonstrations are becoming more important with each passing year as the CCP increasingly trumpets the narrative of a Party-led national rejuvenation, a ‘China dream.’

The Xi-Abe Handshake

The APEC forum provided a rare shared venue for the leaders of China and Japan, two countries that have been experiencing a pronounced chill in bilateral relations ever since the government in Tokyo purchased three of the disputed Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu in Chinese) from a private owner. Part of the pomp and ceremony of the summit was a handshake between President Xi and each of the attending leaders; including, much to Xi’s conspicuous displeasure, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. If we were to go on body language alone, the deadpan Xi ignoring Abe’s conversation before turning his back on the Japanese prime minister altogether, we can assume that the freeze will continue.

Some are pointing to talks between the two leaders on the sidelines of the summit as evidence that tensions might soon ease, but in reality the opposite is more likely to be true. Given the present political climate in China, any open conciliatory overtures would come only after a demonstration of public contrition, however seemingly insignificant, on the part of the Japanese. This might mean either giving credence to the Chinese claim on the Diaoyu Islands or some form of self-condemnation by Abe in regards to visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine – both of which are extremely unlikely to happen.

Thus we should look on the APEC summit as more of the same for Sino-Japanese relations. Prime Minister Abe attempted to make inroads, failed, and was ultimately content to provide a vague description of ‘fruitful’ talks to the media. Xi never had a choice on inviting Abe to the summit, so he made the most of it by conveying his contempt in the only medium available to him: pantomime. As for the supposed talks, President Xi simply issued the same statement as always, that ‘China hopes Japan would follow a path of peaceful development and adopt prudent military and security policies.’