Xi seemed at ease around his American hosts, whether climbing into a tractor cab in Iowa or sitting tie-less during the fourth quarter of a Los Angeles Lakers game as he laughed alongside Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
It’s not an image Chinese are used to after the decade-long presidency of the stiff and formal-looking Hu Jintao, who often comes across in photos as a typical Communist Party bureaucrat. And many here noted the difference. …
Xi’s visit, and his easy-going style, brought comparisons to earlier Chinese leaders who showed more personality and self-confidence on the global stage. While visiting a Texas rodeo in 1979, Deng Xiaoping famously donned a cowboy hat, to the delight of his hosts, producing an iconic image that helped shift Americans to a more positive perception of China. And Jiang Zemin was renowned for sometimes using English words and breaking out into Broadway show tunes.
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