At the top of politics, especially men, have a habit of patting each other on the shoulder or back.
When Donald Trump was president of the United States, he took Emmanuel Macron with a handshake match.
The French president did not want to remain weak by Trump’s side, instead Macron shook Trump’s hand more strongly, the more he wanted to prolong the handshake.
When the President of the Republic Alexander Stubb met the President of China in Beijing Xi Jinpinginthe ceremonies were grand.
The 180-centimeter female soldiers of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army were like carved from a single piece of wood.
Approximately 40–50 cm bayonets were attached to the parade rifles. Uniforms glittered in the lobby of the Great Hall of the People, China’s parliament building, which is the size of a football field.
I followed the soldiers’ parade practice and getting into shape for an hour.
This is what the Chinese honor team looked like. The soldiers stood motionless in straight lines. Jenni Host
Not once did they smile – not even by accident.
Both men and women were identical in height and body structure: well-trained and clearly taller than the average Chinese.
Elementary school children dressed in their best shouted and waved their flags on command. They waved and smiled at the reporters without being told to.
The joy of seeing the presidents would have reached the surface even without the axing. In totalitarianism, human dignity also means the individual’s worth to the Communist Party.
It was positive that the Chinese treated Finnish journalists very kindly.
It was clear that we were expected to cover Stubb’s visit to China comprehensively.
Filming was allowed without restrictions, and there were no expectations expressed out loud about the tone of the stories, which would have indicated censorship.
The security checks were not excessive, and they respected the journalists’ privacy.
Alexander Stubb leaned lightly in Xi Jinping‘s direction. The two chatted familiarly. Jenni Host
The People’s Republic of China had decided to be open and friendly to Finland and Finns.
There is also concreteness in friendliness. Stubb will bring the Finns a 15-day visa exemption, which he separately praised in Shanghai when summing up the visit.
In the future, you can get to China for two weeks with just a passport.
Beautiful scenery and compliments should not be allowed to cover the truth: China is a state that oppresses its minorities.
When the soldiers of the people’s army’s honor company echoed their shouts, a reminder of the nature of totalitarianism echoed in the marble hall.
Finns were blown away by it. Everything was too polished, just like the other week during Stubb’s state visit to Norway.
The soldiers of the Royal Norwegian Guard were not of the same mold and did not march in perfect time.
In world politics, it is important to make influential friends.
Xi seems to genuinely like Stubb, who is 15 years his junior.
They have known each other for fifteen years, which Xi publicly hinted at. It was a deliberate move by a superpower leader.
Xi had reserved his time for Stubb for three and a half hours. That’s a lot at the absolute pinnacle of power.
Neither president preferred the other. This gesticulation was repeated several times in the Great People’s Hall. Jenni Host
Body language is fascinating to analyze.
Seen with his own eyes, he clearly perceived the unspoken messages. Both of the presidents tried to show with their hands that you go first.
Xi offered Stubb a couple of steps ahead several times, but the Finn responded by opening the way for Xi with his hand.
Stubb walked alongside Xi – sometimes half a step behind – and even leaned against her upper arm. Even by accident, he didn’t jump ahead of the Chinese president, rather the opposite.
Xi did not seek to pat Stubb and thereby demonstrate his dominance.
After inspecting the company of honor, there was an interesting moment when Stubb appeared to gently touch Xi on the back with his left hand.
The video shows the situation better than the photo. Stubb seems to touch Xi lightly on the back. Jenni Host
The situation can be seen in Iltalehti’s video filmed in Mahtava Kansansal.
Xi measured his guest only once.
When the ministers of the countries signed various memoranda of understanding, the presidents sat on the dais behind the signing table.
After the dance, Xi got up and shook Stubb’s hand in front of the cameras. Then the squeeze was firm and lasted a few seconds longer than a normal handshake.
After signing the memorandum of understanding, Xi shook Stubb’s hand firmly and did not immediately release his grip. Jenni Host
Stubb responded by squeezing back a tad harder, but made sure the handshake didn’t look awkwardly long or take on any features.
Xi’s nature gave the impression that she likes the confident but label-dominating Stubb.
It would not have been possible to deduce from body language which of the presidents is leading a great power and which is Finland with a population of five and a half million.
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