Here's a riddle for you : when LHL et al go to China, do they speak in English or Chinese to XJP et al? If they speak in English, they risk offending XJP et al. If they speak in Chinese (even foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan who married a Chinese wife can speak in Chinese), they risk appearing sycophantic. So how? Most likely they speak the middle ground : official government statements in English, informal conversation in Chinese.