PRC President Hu Jintao visits the USA

I Guessing that would be a charted Plane. Dosent the Pres of China have his own plane?

Originally Posted by bladerunner

I Guessing that would be a charted Plane. Dosent the Pres of China have his own plane?

That's what I was wondering.. I don't really know. I know the US President brings his own gear with him. Including helos...

Why wasn't Pres Obama there at Andrews to meet the man? And why dosen't Pres Hu have his own vehicle waiting for him??

Well, taking a political wack at it...

There is this group - I will not mention names - who calls Obama a socialist and all so maybe to lessen the ammo he gives that group to shoot at him, he didnt show up himself?
Also, there are other groups pressuring USA to be on the PRC about human rights and all and a state dinner snub would have fit their bill. So Obama took such action (no airport meet, etc.) into consideration to meet that group so it doesnt seem like he is cozzing up too much with Hu?
Or maybe it also had Gate's and other's influence to show dissatisfaction over the testing of a certain plane on his visit?

*shrugs*




Oh common, cant say those doesnt run through the head- especially after that Washington Post article about Hu desperately wanting to be at this dinner and all (a chance at many things)

Anyway, I see GB making something of these photos... hahaha
then again... Hu (nice face btw) met by Biden (nice face too... so who farted? Hu, or Biden!?)... I smell SNL skit...

Neither look particularly happy, what time is it over there, perhaps Biden had a rotten day and Hu had rotten flight, China airways forgot his favourite tipple.

Anyway I reckon it will be nice for a short time, then back to the same old same old. THe Taiwan arms deal, Sudan could become points of friction as the South votes for separation from the north and taking a good slice of the oil reserves with them. In tryingto curry favour with the South Sudanese,you can bet the West will be reminding them that China didn't do them in favours.

And then theres Kim.

Originally Posted by bladerunner

Neither look particularly happy, what time is it over there, perhaps Biden had a rotten day and Hu had rotten flight, China airways forgot his favourite tipple.

Anyway I reckon it will be nice for a short time, then back to the same old same old. THe Taiwan arms deal, Sudan could become points of friction as the South votes for separation from the north and taking a good slice of the oil reserves with them. In tryingto curry favour with the South Sudanese,you can bet the West will be reminding them that China didn't do them in favours.

And then theres Kim.

Hear, hear. We're in for a rough 2011...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/wo...a/19hu.html?hp

News Analysis
China’s Leader Has Message of Harmony, but Limited Agenda
By IAN JOHNSON
Published: January 18, 2011


BEIJING — For the Obama administration, the four-day visit by President Hu Jintao of China may offer a platform to try to make progress on issues troubling their countries: currency, the trade imbalance, human rights and China’s military stance. But Mr. Hu arrives with a comparatively low-key message, intoning his favorite idea: harmony.
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Charles Dharapak/Associated Press

American and Chinese flags on display near the Capitol dome in Washington on Tuesday ahead of the visit by President Hu Jintao of China.
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Over the past few years, that has become a catchword of his administration, used especially often when Mr. Hu is confronted with thorny situations that elude ready solutions, like domestic social unrest or a rising China’s impact on the outside world. In China, the term is sometimes used ironically as a verb to describe Web sites that suddenly disappear, “harmonized away,” and officially as a goal, a “harmonious society.”

That is also the goal for the difficult relations between the world’s two most powerful nations. In comments given before he left, Mr. Hu emphasized the common interests of the United States and China and “solemnly” pledged peace and cooperation.

“China and the United States have major influence in international affairs and shoulder important responsibilities in upholding world peace and promoting common development,” Mr. Hu said in a written answer to questions posed by journalists from the United States.

Some analysts say that this reflects a weakened President Hu. After a year of foreign policy missteps that have allowed the United States to regain influence in Asia, Mr. Hu is also on his way out. Even authoritarian countries have lame ducks, and Mr. Hu is expected to be replaced in less than two years.

“He wants to go out with the country’s most important bilateral relationship intact,” said a Western diplomat based in Beijing who spoke anonymously because of the delicacy of the subject.

But Mr. Hu’s calm also reflects a more confident China. As a Chinese scholar at Indiana University, Scott Kennedy, noted in a recent essay, Mr. Hu’s comments are at odds with his host’s.

“His description of China took it as a given that China is a leading global power and a central member of the international system,” Mr. Kennedy wrote of Mr. Hu, “and such standing is not conditional on U.S. approval.”

China has also emphasized the need to allow Mr. Hu to enjoy all the trappings of a formal state visit. Chinese officials are still smarting from a decision by the Bush administration not to call his first visit as president five years ago a state visit. The administration then botched the White House reception for the Chinese leader, confusing China’s national anthem for the one of its arch rival, Taiwan, and allowing a protester to heckle Mr. Hu while he spoke to a crowd on the South Lawn.

Obama administration officials say that this time, as Mr. Hu prepares for a transition to retirement, the logistics or ceremonial aspects of his trip have in some ways eclipsed the policy items on the bilateral agenda.

His trip begins with the expected: a dinner with President Obama on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday a formal arrival ceremony, bilateral meetings and a joint news conference, followed by more socializing and a state dinner at the White House.

But it gets more interesting. On Thursday, he talks again to a lobby group, the usually sympathetic US-China Business Council, which will be looking for Mr. Hu to toss some bones to American companies. Then he goes on to Chicago — a visit to Mr. Obama’s adopted hometown, but also a chance to show China’s rising role in the world.

Mr. Hu will visit a Chinese-owned auto parts plant and apparently also the Confucius Institute in Chicago, one of the cultural centers that China has been establishing around the world — as part of a “soft power” offensive that Beijing has pursued for a few years.

This is the real message of the trip: despite all the huff and puff, China and its sometimes maddeningly opaque system, with its somewhat colorless leaders, is here to stay.
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China Plants Its Image on Times Square - WSJ.com
China Plants Its Image on Times Square

By LORETTA CHAO

BEIJING—When many Americans think of China, they think of a rising rival accused of manipulating its currency and siphoning U.S. jobs. China's government wants them to think of sports stars, Internet entrepreneurs, and astronauts.

As President Hu Jintao begins his visit to the U.S. this week, China is blitzing America with a flashy television ad that mixes images of ordinary Chinese citizens with celebrities like NBA star Yao Ming, Web tycoon Jack Ma, and a quartet of fashion models. The minute-long video is scheduled to run on CNN and to be shown 300 times a day—once every four minutes during peak periods—on the giant display in New York's Times Square from now until Feb. 14.

The ad is part of China's broader push in recent years to use its culture and people to ease international fears about its rise. That use of "soft power"—as scholars describe it, in contrast to the hard power afforded by economic, geopolitical and military clout—will also be highlighted during Mr. Hu's trip by his visit to a Chinese government-sponsored language-learning center at a Chicago high school—part of a vast global network of so-called Confucius Institutes designed to spread the use of Mandarin.

China's government was long neglectful of its image overseas, but in recent years it has invested billions of dollars to promote its viewpoints and polish its reputation. In addition to the new commercial and increasing numbers of Confucius Institutes, Chinese state-run media companies are expanding overseas as well. China Daily, the government English-language newspaper, launched a U.S. edition in 2009. Xinhua news agency started an English-language TV news service last year, and state broadcaster China Central Television recently announced a new English-language documentary channel that will showcase films about China for foreign audiences.

The efforts come as China's policies and actions are coming under increasing international scrutiny and criticism, from its military advances to its exchange-rate policies to its handling of deadly antigovernment riots in Tibet in 2008 and the 11-year prison sentence it gave dissident Liu Xiaobo, who as awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize in absentia at a December ceremony.

The image push has expanded enormously in just the five years since Mr. Hu last visited the U.S., in April 2006. To use one measure: China had fewer than 10 Confucius Institutes in the U.S. that year. Today, there are more than 100 institutes and similar Confucius Classrooms in the U.S.—and hundreds more in other countries. The institutes are sponsored, and partly funded, by an arm of China's Ministry of Education called the Hanban, which cooperates with schools and universities around the world.

But like so much in China, the soft-power push is led by the government, and it is unclear how much impact it is having wooing American hearts and minds. A survey of 1,503 Americans by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that 58% want to build a stronger relationship with China, but 65% see China as either an "adversary" or a "serious problem."

Marketing experts say the state-led approach has limits. While the Chinese government clearly recognizes the value of soft power, it should promote things "which are happening culturally and spontaneously" within the country, such as its vibrant art scene, says Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Chief Executive Miles Young. He says other nations like South Korea and Japan have gained global cultural influence by embracing contemporary, ground-up cultural development in addition to government-led initiatives, helping to boost their creative credibility.

The Times Square commercial was ordered up by China's State Council Information Office and produced by a Chinese agency, Shanghai Lintas Advertising. Chinese officials couldn't be reached to comment and Lintas Advertising declined to comment.

The ad appears designed to put a human face on relations with China, quite literally, scrolling through a series of still images of Chinese people—China's first astronaut in space, a pair of film directors, a state-owned enterprise executive—under titles like "Cutting-Edge Chinese Agriculture" and "Award-Winning Chinese talent." "Chinese friendship," the screen says as it ends.

Initial reviews of the ad are mixed. Tom Doctoroff, director of the north Asia area for WPP Group's JWT ad agency, said the commercial ad is "a good first step." "China is demonstrating an awareness that it needs to forge a more trustful relationship with other countries and cultures," he said. But the spot a more effective message for China to present would have been one about how it can integrate with the rest of the world. "The question on people's minds is how do we form a harmonious 21st century with China standing side-by-side the West, each complementing one another?"

It's "a perfect example of saying what you want to say rather than saying what the audience needs to hear," said David Wolf, chief executive of Wolf Group Asia, a Beijing-based marketing strategy firm. He said the ad misfires by calling attention to some of the very aspects of modern China that put Americans on edge.

Mr. Wolf says that "they are trying to flaunt their material strengths, which worry America, rather than try to bridge the gap of misunderstanding," He added that "Instead of saying, 'we are your friends,' the ads are saying 'Hello, America. Be very afraid.' "

It's "a perfect example of saying what you want to say rather than saying what the audience needs to hear," said David Wolf, chief executive of Wolf Group Asia, a Beijing-based marketing strategy firm. He said the ad misfires by calling attention to some of the very aspects of modern China that put Americans on edge.

Mr. Wolf says that "they are trying to flaunt their material strengths, which worry America, rather than try to bridge the gap of misunderstanding," He added that "Instead of saying, 'we are your friends,' the ads are saying 'Hello, America. Be very afraid.' "

I think that's the problem -- no offence, but I think the everyday american has become accustomed with their country continuously having the upper hand or the proverberal "advantage" for the last few decades that any other country which demonstrates near similar potential will be seen as a challenger.
With the financial crisis, the popular media portrayals of human rights abuses, trading with "pariah" states etc, China will be seen as something to be feared because it challenges American primacy, the latter dealing damage to confidence of the US public -- which is alright, I mean if I were an American I'd like my country to be no1 forever/for as long as possible and I'd fear china.

But at the end of the day even without all the above, it is China's growth and potential which (I believe) everyday americans fear, and unless the CCP makes advertisements showing the PRC as a weaker, less assertive or even subservient state, then I doubt the American public will be put at ease.

They should use the money for the economy, infrastructure or military instead.

...It seems there are no youtubes of it yet but has anyone seen where that "new york times footage of/for china" can be streamed? I am interested to see what it contains.

If I may be so blunt, can I ask what some of our American or Western members think of China? Or rather, do people think the assessment of the articles that Kyli posted are accurate (of the American fear/anxiety over PRC)?

http://video.nytimes.com/?src=hp1-0-V

Knock yourself out

Originally Posted by Bltizo

If I may be so blunt, can I ask what some of our American or Western members think of China? Or rather, do people think the assessment of the articles that Kyli posted are accurate (of the American fear/anxiety over PRC)?

As an American, I'm pretty accepting of the rise of China. I think trying to stop China from running its natural course in history is like trying to build an everlasting sandcastle; you can keep trying, but the ocean will wash it away eventually. I don't believe that the rise of China is necessarily a bad thing for America or the world. It's just one of those big historical forces.

With that said, I don't believe that America should be deferential to China, or that we should compromise our important interests one bit. The relationship between America and China should be like, if you'll bear with me here, that between two crime bosses you often see in the movies. They don't like each other and they talk a lot of trash, but they realize that they'll have easier lives if they cooperate, meet every once in a while to talk out issues and find ways to do business. If America realizes that its moving past the point where it is necessary/able to be the dominant power in all areas, and if China is willing to eventually cooperate with America on currency, climate and maybe Iran, I think China and America will be able to get along just fine.

Regarding why Hu doesn't have his own plane... Anybody remember the American company outfitting Jiang Zemin's personal Boeing who let the CIA on board to plant bugs? Airbus is out the question too. I read once that plane was sitting by itself in an isloated part of an airfield somewhere stripped down to a skeleton. Probably melted down into scrap by now after it was said China salvaged some of the most sophisticated satellite surveillance devices around. So you probably won't see the leader of China with a personal plane until China domestically produces one.

Originally Posted by Finn McCool

The relationship between America and China should be like, if you'll bear with me here, that between two crime bosses you often see in the movies. They don't like each other and they talk a lot of trash, but they realize that they'll have easier lives if they cooperate, meet every once in a while to talk out issues and find ways to do business. .

Love your analogy but Barack Corleone can't get the co-operation of all the crime bosses. One of the bosses, the speaker of the house John Gambino has declined the invitation for the state function.

Wary Powers Set to Square Off

China and U.S., Wary Powers, Set to Square Off - WSJ.com

By LORETTA CHAO, JASON DEAN and BOB DAVIS

China's President Hu Jintao landed in Washington for a summit that will help to define a new relationship between the world's longtime superpower and its rising Asian rival, at a time when their bonds have been frayed by mutual suspicions and an ideological gulf.

Since Mr. Hu last visited the White House in 2006, his country's influence has surged and its relationship with the U.S. is now widely recognized as the world's most important bilateral matchup. In some ways ties have strengthened—as in the growing trade and business evident in a series of big commercial deals signed this week. But the two also seem increasingly buffeted by disagreements including Beijing's handling of North Korea, China's own military expansion, its exchange-rate policies and its treatment of foreign businesses.

Mr. Hu's arrival—for China's first state visit to the U.S. since 1997—was accompanied by a Chinese advertising blitz meant to showcase its "soft power," using images of ordinary Chinese citizens and celebrities like NBA star Yao Ming, Web tycoon Jack Ma, and a quartet of fashion models in a minute-long ad. The Chinese video—to run on television and 300 times a day in New York's Times Square for a month—is aimed at showing Americans a different face of China. Rather than a rising rival accused of manipulating its currency and siphoning U.S. jobs, China's government wants Americans to think of sports stars, Internet entrepreneurs, and astronauts.

The Obama administration also has been pressing China to make big investments and splashy joint ventures as a way to demonstrate concrete achievements. On Tuesday, it orchestrated a series of energy-related announcements by U.S. and Chinese business leaders intended to show the upside of working together.

Also, as Mr. Hu arrived, documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal showed that a Chinese firm has agreed to invest $2 billion in a North Korean industrial zone, challenging U.S. policy isolating North Korea and serving as a reminder of the potential limits of Chinese cooperation there. Beijing suggested Tuesday the U.S. needs to remove barriers to Chinese companies' investment, even as a survey of U.S. businesses in Shanghai underlined corporate anxiety about lack of a level playing field in China.

Mr. Hu, in responses this week to questions from The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, suggested he wanted to move past such tensions with the U.S. where possible. "The strategic significance and global impact of China-U.S. relations have been on the rise," Mr. Hu wrote. "We both stand to gain from a sound China-U.S. relationship, and lose from confrontation."

Mr. Hu landed on late Tuesday afternoon at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington on an Air China Boeing 747. He walked off the airplane in a black-collared coat, was greeted by Vice President Joe Biden, hugged a small boy and shook a few hands. The Chinese president was scheduled to dine Tuesday night with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among others. Separately, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was expected to dine with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Qishan.

On Wednesday, the two presidents were to meet again and then join business leaders from Microsoft Corp., General Electric Co. and Boeing Co., among other firms, near the White House. More deals are expected to be announced.

The White House hopes the visit will establish the groundwork for deeper relations. Meanwhile, China's advertising blast is part of a broader push by Beijing to try to put the relationship in human terms and highlight its culture and people to ease fears about its rise.

That use of "soft power"—as scholars describe it, in contrast to the hard power afforded by economic, geopolitical and military clout—will also be highlighted during Mr. Hu's next stop in Chicago on Thursday. He'll visit a Chinese government-sponsored language-learning center at a Chicago high school, part of a global network of so-called Confucius Institutes designed to spread the use of Mandarin.

View Full Image

Zuma Press

Footage promoting China is shown on the screens at New York's Times Square on Monday.
China's government was long neglectful of its image overseas, but in recent years it has invested billions of dollars to promote its viewpoints and polish its reputation. Chinese state-run media companies are expanding overseas as well. China Daily, the government English-language newspaper, launched a U.S. edition in 2009. Xinhua news agency started an English-language TV news service last year, and state broadcaster China Central Television recently announced a new English-language documentary channel that will showcase films about China for foreign audiences.

Those efforts come as China's policies and actions are coming under increasing international scrutiny, including its handling of deadly antigovernment riots in Tibet in 2008 and the 11-year prison sentence it gave dissident Liu Xiaobo, who as awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize in absentia at a December ceremony.

The image push has expanded enormously in just the five years since Mr. Hu last visited. For instance, China had fewer than 10 Confucius Institutes in the U.S. that year. Today, there are more than 100 institutes and similar Confucius Classrooms in the U.S., and hundreds more in other countries. They are sponsored, and partly funded, by an arm of China's Ministry of Education called the Hanban, which cooperates with schools and universities around the world.

More
U.S. Seals Energy Deals as Hu Arrives for Visit Hu's Feel-Good Tour of U.S. Is Likely to Be a Bit Chilly But like so much in China, the soft-power push is led by the government, and it is unclear how much impact it is having wooing U.S. hearts and minds. A survey of 1,503 Americans by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that 58% want to build a stronger relationship with China, but 65% see China as either an "adversary" or a "serious problem."

Marketing experts say the state-led soft-power approach has its limits. While Beijing clearly recognizes the value of soft power, it should promote things "which are happening culturally and spontaneously" within the country, such as its vibrant art scene, says Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Chief Executive Miles Young. He says South Korea and Japan have gained global cultural influence by embracing contemporary, ground-up cultural developments in addition to government-led initiatives.

The Times Square ad was ordered up by China's State Council Information Office and produced by ad agency Shanghai Lintas Advertising. Chinese officials couldn't be reached and Lintas Advertising declined to comment.