纽约时报中文网 - 中英对照版-中英习近平访美前夕中国反美宣传转向

Not long ago, Chinese propaganda was warning that American attempts at easing tensions were mere performance. Its state security agency was urging people to be on guard against American spies. The country’s leader, Xi Jinping, declared that the United States was engaged in a campaign of “all-around containment, encirclement and suppression,” in remarks broadcast across state media.

就在不久前，中国的政治宣传警告，美国缓和紧张局势的努力只是作秀。国家安全机构敦促民众要警惕美国间谍。官媒上都在传播国家领导人习近平的讲话，他声称美国正在对中国进行“全方位的遏制、围堵、打压”。

Now, the tone used to discuss the United States has suddenly shifted. Xinhua, the state news agency, on Monday published a lengthy article in English about the “enduring strength” of Mr. Xi’s affection for ordinary Americans. It included old photos of him sitting in a tractor with an Iowa farmer, and revisiting the home where he once stayed in an American college student’s “Star Trek”-themed bedroom.

现在，中国谈论美国的语气突然发生了转变。官方通讯社新华社周一发表了长篇英文文章，讲述了习近平对美国普通民众的感情“历久弥新”。文章中的旧照重温了他与艾奥瓦州的一名农民开拖拉机和重访一名美国大学生的《星际迷航》主题卧室的场面，那是他曾经住过的地方。

“More delightful moments unfolded when Xi showed up to watch an N.B.A. game,” the article continued, describing a visit by Mr. Xi to the United States in 2012. “He remained remarkably focused on the game.”

“习近平在NBA比赛现场也留下了更多美好的瞬间，”该文章随后描述了习近平在2012年访美时的情景。“他一直非常专注地观看比赛。”

Separately, Xinhua has published a five-part series in Chinese on “Getting China-U.S. Relations Back on Track.” A torrent of other state media articles has highlighted recent visits to China by the American Ballet Theater and the Philadelphia Orchestra, or the story of U.S. veterans who helped China fight Japan during World War II, some of whom visited China this month. “Veterans visit Chinese cities, anticipating everlasting China-U.S. friendship,” one headline declared.

除此之外，新华网还发表了五论“中美关系如何重返正轨”的系列文章。其他官媒上的大量文章也都关注了美国芭蕾舞剧院和费城交响乐团最近访华的消息，或是“二战”期间帮助中国抗日的美国老兵的故事，其中一些人本月访华。有篇文章的标题是这样的——《老兵访问中国城市，期盼中美友谊地久天长》。

The about-face is part of Beijing’s preparation for Mr. Xi’s trip to San Francisco this week, his first visit to the United States in more than six years. He is expected to meet with President Biden on Wednesday, in an attempt by both leaders to stabilize relations between the two countries.

这样的变脸是北京为习近平本周访问旧金山所做的部分铺垫，这是他六年多以来首次访美。预计他将在周三与拜登总统会面，两位领导人都试图稳定两国关系。

Beijing, in particular, may be motivated to play up the meeting to reassure investors and foreign businesses, said Titus Chen, an associate professor of political science at Taiwan’s National Sun Yat-sen University. As China’s economy struggles, with anemic consumer spending and high youth unemployment, Chinese leaders are likely eager to show companies and investors that their relationship with the United States is not a major risk factor.

台湾国立中山大学政治学副教授陈至洁表示，北京可能特别希望通过此次会晤来安抚投资者和外商。由于中国经济陷入困境，消费支出疲软，青年失业率高居不下，中国领导人大概很渴望向企业和投资者表明，中美关系不是一个重大风险因素。

“Propaganda of this type is not meant for persuasion — it is not persuasive at all,” Professor Chen said. “It is mainly designed for signaling, in the hope that recipients will get the signal and implement the proper response, which is investment, or resumption of exchanges.”

“这种政治宣传不是为了说服，它根本没有说服力可言，”陈至洁说。“它主要是为了发出信号，希望接收者能读懂这个信号并做出适当的反应，也就是进行投资或恢复交流。”

But even if the intended audience is primarily overseas, many Chinese social media users have taken note of the abrupt turn — and have been left reeling, or at least wryly amused. On the platform Weibo, some joked that several new TV shows about fighting Americans during the Korean War would need to be shelved. One popular meme purported to show an editorial by People’s Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, promising legal repercussions for anyone who sought to derail U.S.-China relations.

即便这种宣传的目标受众主要是在海外，但许多中国社交媒体用户也还是注意到了这一突然转变，并为此困惑不已——至少也能体会到讽刺的幽默。有人在微博上开玩笑称，多部抗美援朝的新剧恐怕要被暂停播出了。一个热门米姆故意混淆视听，展示了中共喉舌《人民日报》发表的一篇社论，宣称要将破坏中美关系的人绳之以法。

Under another post showing true, recent state media editorials promoting U.S.-China relations, a commenter wrote: “So, going forward, do we or don’t we need to hate America? So unclear.”

另一篇帖子列举了官媒近期发表的宣扬中美友好的真实社评，一位评论者写道：“到底往后还需不需要恨美国，也不明说一下。”

Beyond social media snark, some Chinese academics and writers have also struck a more cautious or pessimistic note on the prospects of a thaw with the United States. On Guancha.cn, a nationalistic news and commentary site, columnists have noted that both countries are making short-term concessions for their own long-term strategic gain.

在社交媒体上的挖苦之外，一些中国学者和作家也对中美关系解冻的前景表达了更为谨慎或悲观的态度。民族主义新闻和时评网站观察者网的专栏作家指出，两国都在为自己的长期战略利益做出短期让步。

Even the most flowery Chinese articles have drawn distinctions between warm ties between American and Chinese people, and their governments; some state media outlets have continued to warn that the outcome of the California meeting will hinge on the United States, in line with Beijing’s stance that the strained relationship is entirely Washington’s fault.

中方发表的文章即便说得再天花乱坠，也还是对美中人民的友好和两国政府的关系做出了区分。一些官媒继续警告，加州的会晤结果如何将取决于美国，这符合北京一贯的立场，即中美关系紧张的责任全在美方。

In one widely circulated article published on Monday, Wang Jisi, a prominent professor of international relations at Peking University, wrote that a meeting between Mr. Xi and Mr. Biden was valuable — and likely to be in short supply going forward — as the United States enters an election year, when anti-China rhetoric might surge.

北京大学著名国际关系学教授王缉思在周一发表的一篇广为流传的文章中写道，习拜会的确意义重大，但未来这样的会晤不会有太多，因为美国将进入大选年，反华言论可能激增。

On the future of U.S.-China relations, Professor Wang wrote, “I am only cautious, not optimistic.”

对于中美关系的未来，王缉思写道，“我只谨慎，而不乐观。”