The lead story yesterday on CCTV's evening news, as well as the second story on Xinhua's website, was about a letter that Xi Jinping wrote in reply to Sarah Lande, an old friend in Iowa. Either not reported on or dismissed by most Western media, this was an important signal at a tense time in U.S.-China relations. This message is likely for both domestic and American audiences. Whether this is the most effective way to deliver such assurances in this day and age is another question, but it is a mistake to ignore it.
