Hu Jintao’s visit to the US

Peter Wu

22 Jan 2011

When I saw President Hu Jintao being the welcome to the White House and being the guest of honour at the state dinner, my eyes well with tears.

The guest list is the ultimate who’s who in the US and Hong Kong, as Jackie Chan was among the guests. The dinner showcases the best produces from America, including Maine’s lobsters, Brown Bear’s Paws from Montana, Salmons from Washington and home-grown vegetables from the White House gardens.

Amidst the pomp and circumstance, I can’t help but notice one thing: Where is Mrs Hu? He emerged from the China Airline plane on his own. He attended the welcome ceremony at the south lawn on his own and possibly the most awkward of all, he attended the state dinner on his own.

What happened to the post-dinner dances? Who was he dancing with? Did he kick off his heels and let his hair down? Did the White House provide him with a female social aide so he does not look out of place? How did he manage on his own?

If I recall correctly, two other Chinese presidents/dignitaries visited the White House: Jiang Zemin and Deng Xiaoping. I don’t remember them bringing their wives with them. Why? Are they told to stay in the hotel to cook rice for their husbands? Is it un-Chinese and un-cool for our supreme leader to bring their rice-cooking woman along on a state visit?

My informed sources told me that the White House is keen to curry favour with President Hu and will take pains to ensure President Obama looks chummy with President Hu. So other than those formal dinners where you put in an appearance but hardly touch the foods (you are too shit scared to do anything because all the guests are not there to eat, but to cast a critical eye on your every move, with their hidden cams), President Obama plans to take President Hu out to a bowl or two of Wun Ton Noodle at a back-street restaurant in New York City’s China Town. He wants the Chinese people to know that he is equally at ease in using chop sticks to slurp noodles as he is with knife and fork.

There is in fact a precedent for this. When President Dimitri Medvedev of Russia visited the White House, President Obama took him out to a greasy-spoon at Hell Burger, a kind of buddy gesture that speaks louder than even the most lavish state dinner about his warm feelings toward the Russian president.

Watch out for photos of Presidents Hu and Obama slurping Wun Ton Noodles together at a Dai Pai Dong.