Hu Jintao, premier of China, is in the middle of his first state visit to the US, whose pomp and circumstance reflects China's growing economic stature and role in world affairs. Due to the linguistic and political differences between the US and China, few Americans know very much about Hu. Many of them will have had their first real look at him during an extended and surprisngly candid
joint press conference held with President Obama and lasting well over an hour - something which never happens in China. Fears (or possibly hopes) of a trade war between the US and China
a year ago have faded, and instead a trade deal involving $45 billion of American exports was announced, to
mixed reactions. He was received
less kindly by Congress, whose members expressed disquiet about everything from trade deficits to human rights and whose leaders
declined to discuss matters over dinner - perhaps because they did not wish to be lost in the high-powered crowd of attendees.
[more inside]
posted by anigbrowl
on Jan 20, 2011 -
59 comments
