Xi, Obama seek to buoy public perceptions

On few occasions can one witness fiercer media competition than on the scene of a joint news conference with President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Barack Obama, the leaders of the world's two largest economies.

On Wednesday, more than 200 media members flocked into the conference hall ahead of the scheduled time, waiting for news of the day.

But only two of them got a chance to question the protagonists.

The rule, as usual, was this: Only one media representative from each side would get a chance to pose a question to their own president on behalf of their country's media team.

China Daily, as the national English-language newspaper devoted to creating a bridge between China and other countries, was the lucky one that earned this role for China.

The US side chose the reporter from The New York Times.

The questions from the two influential newspapers, which didn't compare notes beforehand, followed the same pattern: getting their own president to address what the other country is most concerned about.

Despite their close economic bond, the two countries experience friction in their relationship from time to time due to a lack of strategic trust. Some Chinese are suspicious that the US is actively trying to contain China's growth, while some Americans are concerned that China is poised to challenge the United States in the Asia-Pacific region.

China Daily's question was on China's role in global affairs after its robust growth.

Xi focused his answer on China's consistent contribution to world affairs and said China "will shoulder more international responsibilities in line with our own strength and status ... and is committed to share development opportunities with other countries".

The question from The New York Times was mainly about whether the US is trying to contain China.

Obama responded: "I have repeatedly reiterated and displayed through the actions of our administration that we want China to succeed."

Reducing fears about each other's intentions is a primary goal of diplomats. The media are doing their share in this process.

Hopefully, the signals sent by the two presidents will be fully broadcast by leading media agencies.

Contact the writer at wujiao@chinadaily.com.cn