Xi meets Gabon President; Tragic Beijing fire; Lula's choice; King of Fairy Tales' trademark nightmare
Xi meets Gabon President; Tragic Beijing fire; Lula's choice; King of Fairy Tales' trademark nightmare
Summary of the Essential Eight:
Xi meets President Bongo of Gabon - According to the Xinhua readout “Bongo is the first African head of state visiting China after Xi was reelected as the Chinese president. It fully demonstrates the importance and high level of China-Gabon relations”. And this quote from a CASS scholar in a Global Times report sums up the mood: "in 2023, Chinese diplomacy is marching with full speed ahead. From Xi's state visit to Russia to receiving leaders of France, the EU, ASEAN countries and Brazil, these diplomatic activities reflect China's strategies in the continents of Europe, Asia and Latin America. The latest visit of President Bongo is not only reflecting the China-Gabon relations, but also representing the high-level strategic ties between China and Africa.“ The next Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs may be quite revelatory about how Xi sees China’s growing role in the world. The last one was in June 2018 so decent odds there will be t…