At an official dinner at the White House, Chinese leaders sit at the table next to the presidents of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and General Motors. After dinner, they shake hands with the Harlem Globetrotters. This is now light years removed from the affected indifference with which the Qing emperor received Macartney’s gifts sent by the British crown, or from Mao’s severe economic autarky. The purpose of the visit, as Deng himself stated, is to affirm a de facto alliance with the United States.
