US President Donald Trump’s visit to China marks a soft-power win for Beijing in its quest to present as a gleaming, high-tech powerhouse.
The summit has cast the world’s attention on China’s pandemic recovery and tech innovations of the last decade, including in EVs, robotics, and clean energy: American reporters who interacted with humanoid workers or rode in futuristic cars “were struck by the tremendous changes taking place in China,” a state media outlet boasted.
While they aren’t novel to locals, “these images are the real deliverable for Beijing,” an expert told The Washington Post. China has looked to redefine its global brand in an effort to boost tourism and combat negative narratives.
