-Motorcade with Saudi characteristics
-Audience within an audience
-Xi hemmed in by Saudi protocol
-Like a fish out of water
-Xi regains his mojo in meetings with Egypt, Palestine
The December 9 news opens with a Xi motorcade, but this one is a little different. Motorcycles accompany his car from the airport to Riyadh, after which the Saudi cavalry takes over.
The arrival of the foreign VIP is trumpeted.
Prime Minister MBS greets Xi
They pause as respective national anthems are played
Xi may be building an anti-Western coalition, but he's the most Western-dressed man in the room.
A touching moment of cultural parity. FM Wang Yi and PM MBS exchange traditional greetings, to each his own.
Xi is more of a handshake man. Here he is seen greeting the elderly king.
Xi looks jet-lagged and a bit out of his element as, for the first time in a long time, he has to sit back and listen and let others do most of the talking.
Two unveiled women from China bring a touch of cosmopolitan sensibility to the all-male Saudi conclave.
Xi smiles bemusedly as his host dominates the discussion.
Xi claps in the background as FM Wang Yi exchanges document books with his Saudi counterpart.
Group portrait in front of portrait
(Not on CCTV)
An awkward scene not included in CCTV's coverage was the moment where Xi was forced to step forward to receive Saudi documents.
Xi can be uncomfortable with unscripted discussion as exemplified by his testy meeting with Justin Trudeau in Bali. Here he looks anxious to get out of the room.
Xi finally gets to reassert himself as master of his domain in a hotel ballroom controlled by the Chinese side where he reasserts Chinese-style protocol.
As was seen in Bangkok, where he comandeered the ballroom of the Oriental Hotel, he likes to "host" foreign leaders even when he is in a foreign country. CCTV can control the footage, Xi controls the conversation.
Here he does most of the talking as the President of Egypt listens attentively. Xi is flanked by Wang Yi and his note-taking cronies. He's even got his Chinese tea cup with him.
Xi pauses for a moment to let his "guest" speak.
President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi heartily congratulates Xi Jinping on the success of the 20th Party Congress in October...
A meeting with Chinese protocol characteristics follows with Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine.
Xi's back in his game.
Xiaoliang, the artist who did this warm digital rendering of Peng Lifa based on a photograph, is reportedly himself in trouble. This now famous picture, posted on Oct 15, was his last post.
He is said to be in detention for "picking quarrels and making trouble"
Xiao Liang, an artist from Nanchang, was arrested.
Xiao Liang's Twitter account contains some beautiful digital renderings of famous people and interesting faces.
Xiao Liang's support for Ukraine, which conflicts with Beijing's policy, and his opposition to Russian invasion, which Beijing has yet to acknowledge, is plain to see.
CCTV FOLLIES 12.08 King for a day
-Xi descends from the sky to alight in Saudi Arabia
-Full ceremonials and pomp fit for a king
-In Xi's absence, Li Keqiang is number one big boss
-Cai Qi also gets a whiff of glory
-Russia tells it like it is in Ukraine
In an opening reminiscent of "Triumph of the Will" the man of destiny gazes down upon the earth as his craft slowly descends towards its destination.
His jet is soon accompanied by other jets flying in tribute to his munificence, power and grace, letting loose streamers of smoke as the big jet lands in Riyadh.
CCTV FOLLIES 12.07 A day of meetings
-Spirit of 20th congress spreads like a prairie fire
-All parties, ethnic groups, youth, seniors heed the call
-Next year is year of the "20th spirit"
-Russia still blowing things up in Ukraine
-US humiliated by power blackout in N. Carolina
The first eight minutes of the news is unbearably boring, just a long readout, but it's got Xi's thumbprint in every inch of it, so there's that.
In short, implementation of "spirit of 20th."
Meeting in Zhongnanhai shows where these exceedingly bureaucratic ideas originate.