Social Distancing in Diplomacy: A challenge to the historic norm

On Monday (23/03/2020), President Armen Sarkissian of Armenia hosted the Chinese Ambassador to Armenia Tian Erlong. Not long after, this image of the meeting circulated on Twitter.

Due to COVID-19 related social distancing, Sarkissian and Erlong sat incredibly far away from one another. This is strikingly different to normal diplomatic meetings. As I discussed in my first ever blog post, these usually involve two men sitting very close to one another, often with a flag trying to get involved.

Sitting near each other is not a new diplomatic practice. Perhaps the most famous example of this occurred in 1945, at the Yalta Conference. Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Franklin Delano Roosevelt met there to discuss post-World War Two Europe. During the Conference, a picture was taken of the trio sat together.

In truth, this isn’t even a modern behaviour. Coins from the eighth century have been discovered depicting two rulers sat next to one another, minted by both King Alfred of Wessex (871-99), and his contemporary King Ceolwulf of Mercia (-c.879). We can infer that the coin is supposed to depict the two Early English kings sat together.

There is also an example of this in my own research on Anglo-Scottish and Anglo-Welsh diplomacy between the years 927 and 1154. The twelfth-century chronicler John of Hexham records the King of Scots’ son, Henry, visiting King Stephen of England’s court in 1136.  According to John, ‘At the feast of Easter, King Stephen, in proof of the regard which he felt for the same Henry, made him sit at his right hand.’

Leaders and diplomats sit close together to indicate peace and good relations. As John states, Stephen invited Henry to sit with him to demonstrate the respect and affection he felt for the Scottish prince. Other evidence illustrates additional ways that sitting together shows a positive relationship. In the Old English poem Beowulf, the titular character sits with Hrethric and Hrothmund, the sons of King Hrothgar and Queen Wealhtheow. Wealhtheow then gave a speech directed at Beowulf, saying ‘be kindly disposed towards these boys in giving them good counsels.’ The reference to ‘good counsels’ shows that Beowulf was expected to talk to the boys, something that was made much easier by their close proximity. Thus, two people sitting together was a metaphor for not just a positive relationship, but one based on good communication. Finally, in his book Family, Friends and Followers; Political and Social Bonds in Early Medieval Europe, Gerd Althoff points out that the people in these situations are actually pretty vulnerable. They are unarmed and unsuspecting, whilst surrounded by members of a foreign, and potentially hostile, group. Sitting with a foreign diplomat or leader visually shows people how good your relationship with them is, since you trust that nothing bad will happen to you whilst you’re in this vulnerable position.

The context of these episodes further proves the relationship between sitting near someone and having a good relationship with them. Henry’s visit to Stephen’s court came in the aftermath of an Anglo-Scottish conflict. In early 1136, King David of Scots invaded northern England, capturing Newcastle and Carlisle. Peace was negotiated at Durham, after which Henry of Scots travelled south for his visit to King Stephen. The pair sitting together was a way to confirm to the English court that the war was over and that peace had been re-established.

Similarly, Alfred and Ceolwulf’s coin was issued during a period of frequent Viking invasions. The image likely illustrated an alliance between the two English rulers versus the Scandinavian attackers, though the contemporary written sources do not provide any evidence for this. The sources were produced by supporters of Alfred though, so likely sought to play down any help he received from other kings. Likewise, the Yalta picture was taken in the context of the USA-UK-USSR alliance against Germany.

What does this tell us about diplomacy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the meeting between the Armenian President and the Chinese Ambassador? Well there is a negative and a positive interpretation. On one hand, sitting so far apart, in clear defiance of diplomatic norms, could demonstrate how much COVID-19 is separating everyone and challenging traditional beliefs. However, I prefer a more positive view. During this global pandemic, these men, and the states they represent, are facing a common enemy. That they still held a face to face meeting symbolises not just good relations, but also their alliance against COVID-19. A telephone call would have been much easier, but the image of the two men in the same room is a far more powerful act of public diplomacy.

Bibliography

Althoff, Gerd, Family, Friends and Followers: Political and Social Bonds in Early Medieval Europe, trans. by Christopher Carroll (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004).

Armen Press: https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1009686.html

Ashmolean Museum: https://www.ashmolean.org/watlington-hoard

Beowulf, in Beowulf and Other Old English Poems, ed. and trans. by Craig Williamson, for. by Tom Shippey (Philadelphia: Pennsylvania Press, 2011), pp. 443-44.

Henry, Archdeacon of Huntingdon, Historian Anglorum, ed. and trans. by Diana Greenaway (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996), pp. 707.

Igor Denisov on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Igor_Denisov/status/1242156392124989441

John the Prior, The History of the Church of Hexham, The Church historians of England, ed. and trans. by Joseph Stevenson, 5 vols. (London: Seeleys 1853-58), 4, p. 6.

Yalta Conference on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yalta_Conference