Rama Krishna Sangem
China President and Chinese communist party strong leader Xi Jinping has a special trait, that is his composed body language. This we can notice in his meetings and interactions with global leaders – right from US President Donald Trump to Russian president Putin to Indian PM Narendra Modi. Whenever these leaders besides many others meet Xi, they greet him with visible facial expressions – laughing or broadly smiling etc. Xi never gets over excited, however big the occasion maybe.
But, Xi rarely laughs showing his teeth. He stares at the foreign dignitaries with stoicism, yet with some degree of smiling. Xi never shows up to be impolite to them, but at the same time, never overreacts too. See the videos or photos of Xi meetings with Trump in South Korea on October 30 or with Putin or Modi a few weeks ago, you will clearly notice the stark difference between their facial expressions and his. Though this difference doesn’t play any bigger role in global diplomacy, personality traits matter a lot in clinching deals.
Some attribute it to other things that are special to Chinese leaders. Right from Mao, Chinese or to be precise, Chinese communist party leaders never betray their emotions in public. They maintain dignity and keep stiff upper-lipped. This is partly due to the fact that Chinese people don’t have bigger teeth, to show them in laughter. But, more than that, maintaining serious faces is part of their international diplomacy. They feel that China is a very special country in the world with huge responsibility towards rest of the world.
Deliberate posture
Xi Jinping’s public body language is widely analyzed as deliberate, stoic, and highly controlled, designed to project a specific image of authority and unshakeable confidence. This demeanor is a key component of his carefully managed public persona, which aims to signal strength and control both domestically and internationally. Some aspects of Xi body language and their interpretations include:
Composed Facial Expression: Xi rarely displays overt anxiety, fear, or spontaneous, hearty laughter in public. His smiles are often described as measured and gentle, or as a “guarded approach,” rather than an expression of deep emotion, helping him maintain an inscrutable or “poker face” in high-stakes encounters.
Assertive Posture: He often maintains an upright, firm posture and a deliberate, measured gait, which conveys a strong, assertive presence and determination.
Controlled Gestures: His hand gestures are typically firm and purposeful, used to project power and maintain control. He may use gestures like placing his hand on top of another leader’s during a handshake (a “lidding gesture”) to subtly signal dominance or a sense of being in charge, though this is often softened by context.
Emotional Stability: Observers like former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew have described Xi as a person with “enormous emotional stability” who does not let personal misfortunes or sufferings affect his judgment.
Strategic Communication: While appearing stoic and formal on many official occasions, Xi also strategically employs non-verbal communication, such as engaging in carefully managed personal interactions (e.g., cooking with Putin or taking a selfie with a football player) to appear more approachable and build a specific type of “charismatic leadership” rooted in Chinese values.
On the whole, Xi Jinping’s stoic body language is not a sign of coldness or disinterest but is a calculated display of a powerful, controlled, and resilient leader who is fully in charge and focused on projecting authority. Will our leaders from Xi Jinping on this?
