The picture popped up this week when Xi and the US President, Joe Biden, met in San Francisco for a summit. In the photo, Xi looks younger and is smiling with the Golden Gate Bridge behind him.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, posted this photo on X (previously Twitter).She mentioned that President Biden shared this picture with Xi using his cellphone during their meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
“Pointing to a photo in his phone with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, President Biden asked President Xi, “Do you know this young man?” “Oh yes,” said President Xi, “this was 38 years ago,” Chunying captioned the post.
Since Chunying shared the post, it has been viewed more than 1.1 million times and has received over 7,500 likes. People on social media have had different reactions to the photo.
“I hope China-US relations will improve,” commented one user. “Hope for world peace,” said another.
“Cool! Cooperation and mutual understanding is good for the world,” wrote a third X user. “we hope this meeting is successful and made big milestone for prosperity of world,” added another.
During their meeting, the leaders agreed to restore high-level military communications, and discussions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) were also part of the talks.
According to a statement from the White House, both leaders recognized the importance of addressing the risks associated with advanced AI systems and enhancing AI safety through government discussions between the United States and China.
President Biden expressed concerns about alleged human rights abuses by China in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and the issue of Taiwan was also discussed. Following the meeting, President Biden referred to President Xi as a “dictator.”
However, the comment did not seem to take away the lighter moments as well. President Biden reminded President Xi about the birthday of his wife, Peng Liyuan, and playfully mentioned that it was also President Xi’s birthday. The Chinese president, a bit embarrassed, explained that he had been busy with work and had forgotten the date. He thanked President Biden for the timely reminder.