This is for international as well as domestic consumption. This is a President to President exchange between the two countries. It does not get any more public, any more symbolic of a high level cooperative representation between the two nations than having their presidents meet in the White House.

So what impact can this have on the Chinese citizenry?

It is very easy to change government policy and mindset. Government employees are to follow orders and adhere to policy directives. So if the Chinese government makes a policy directive to the military that, for example, the USA is now a benefactor and that any overt hostile treatment of the relationship will be dealt with swiftly, and Chinese soldier saying amongst his comrades that "Yankee pig must die at the tip of my bayonet" will be removed from service and imprisoned for a very long time by the Chinese military internal security apparatus for treason, inciting armed rebellion and insubordination.

The government, as they are aware of their loyalty and need to follow orders, are not a consideration. Policy can be changed in minutes and they will abide.

But the general public are much different. They are, if 'politically aware', fed information by the media. They have opinions formed over time that are hard to shake. If they are 'politically aware' then they are also aware that policy directives issued by the government, and all media in China is government owned, are apt to change to suit the diplomatic climate and are not representative of the current government policy, but are rather statements issued to further foreign policy.

This is evident by Chinese media reporting on Japan. It is well known by Chinese that the Chinese military faces its' main local threats from Japan and the USA. There is Chinese public indoctrination towards Japan as a hostile nation, a definite military enemy in times of war and as a definite cultural enemy towards China.

There are TV dramas, movies, computer games and more focused on Japanese Imperial oppression of the Chinese people before and during WW2. This has carried on in to the current day. Japan is presented as a race of barbarians who rape and murder Chinese as well as a race and culture of people determined to oppress and conquer China. This carries on even today. There are people of a militant mindset who, regardless of the current Chinese diplomatic efforts and foreign policy directives expressed through the media are focused on Japan as the enemy, culturally and militarily.

This is not prevalent in all aspects of Chinese society or culture, but it is very widespread.

In fact, the second world war is referred to as the War of Chinese People's Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. And Japan, and the modern Japanese military received negative press.

Therefore, all Chinese citizens, regardless of their personal opinion or persuasion, are familiar with the accepted stance towards Japan.

So again, what is the purpose of this?

Is it for Chinese - US relations?

Clearly. The president has vowed to work with the US government in stopping what the media are reporting as attacks on the US government from the Chinese military, even if it be non lethal cyber warfare.

This is not an editorial or opinion piece in the local communist party gazette. This is all over China, and all over the world.

The Chinese president has stated he wants to stop cyber theft and hacking which is often attributed to the Chinese military in the media.

This is not necessary as an effort to shift government policy. This is an effort at bettering relations at the individual citizen level, and at the level of public perception of the foreign nation.

This clearly points to efforts by the Chinese to make the image of the US government, the US military, and therefore the US society and culture as acceptable and to be embraced by the Chinese, not merely as something to be tolerated or observed, as other countries do, namely Iran, with their labeling of the American way of life as "US cultural supremacy and the will of Satan".

However, this is not a major cultural shift in China. Doing so would be nearly impossible. Years and years of public indoctrination of a military nature, focused predominately on Japan and their military, but also on the US military alliance with Japan, via cartoons, fiction, movies, computer games, tv dramas and public sentiment (such as their ANZAC day equivalents (Australian's see Turkey as an ally now, as is Germany) that still label Japan as hostile) would be impossible to alter without causing extreme social unrest. If five minutes from now the Chinese media started painting a positive picture of Japan and their military, and said history was history, people might think a war had been declared or something less drastic.

But efforts to improve the US image and decrease tensions amongst the public, the people susceptible to the media and peer pressure/the accepted mood, is well underway, not just with adoptions of US cultural norms such as movie theatres and playing baseball and western fashion.

The Chinese modern culture, with their distrust leaning towards hatred of Japan, is maintained, at the same time as increasing the positive image of the USA and their military to the public.

Now, where does Australia stand in all of this?

Australia has been left right out of this. Australia does not have, and will not have, a diplomatic or intelligence capability anywhere in Asia.

And not because this is required, but because they are not to be trusted, afforded respect or allowed to be legitimized.

Australia is going so far down it will never, ever be able to get up. This is beyond the point of no return.

Quote:
http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0922/c90000-8953676.html

Quote:
http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0610/c90780-8904778.html

Quote:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324266904578458602036593008

Quote:
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3008773

Quote:
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2015/09/22/0401000000AEN2015092200020...

Quote:
http://www.ecns.cn/2015/10-06/183402.shtml