20240903 Zhang Youxia and Jake Sullivan

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, left, stand with Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia before a meeting at the Bayi building in Beijing on Aug. 29. © Reuters

Analysis: General's smile hints at changes in China power balance

Top military brass return to forefront of diplomacy with U.S.

Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.

Military personnel, especially those in the People's Liberation Army, which pledges its absolute loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, give the impression of being always blank-faced or even frowning when they appear in public.

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