Xi, Obama seek to buoy public perceptions

On few occasions can one witness fiercer media competition than on the scene of a joint news conference with President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Barack Obama, the leaders of the world's two largest economies.

On Wednesday, more than 200 media members flocked into the conference hall ahead of the scheduled time, waiting for news of the day.

But only two of them got a chance to question the protagonists.