Any time a senior U.S. official like the President or the Secretary of State travels to a region where the Chinese have a strong interest, one can expect the publication of a scathing denunciation of the “West” (typically they’re mostly referring to the U.S.) accompanied by a flowery articulation of why China is the preferred partner who respects “equality, mutual benefit, cooperation, and win-win results.”

This is a standard media tactic used all over the world and was on full display last month ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia. In this instance, the job fell to China’s ambassador to Riyadh, Chen Weiqing, who published a sharp attack on the U.S. in the Arabic-language newspaper Middle East News.